Branches is a faith-based organization fueled by a passion for the community. Their mission promotes family wholeness and intergenerational opportunity through “student achievement, family services, and financial wellness.” As Miami’s largest provider of free financial coaching services, Branches works alongside motivated individuals to build a foundation essential for success. Their “2-Gen Approach” to counseling welcomes both parents and children, as family well-being is interconnected (Home, 2022). This Model aligns planning and decision-making with sustainable practices, thereby supporting long-term opportunities.

The Grow Program serves elementary students, while holistically fostering the “mind, body, and heart” in children of all abilities (Home, 2022). Opportunities include: academic support, mentoring, sports and recreation, social and life skills workshops, and Bible studies. For middle and high school students, the Climb Program focuses on asset-building strategies for postsecondary success. Branches youth can participate in: field trips, enrichment workshops, college readiness seminars, community service, and Bible studies.

Reference:

Branches. (2022, April 20). Home. branchesfl.org

Caring for Miami is a faith-based organization inspired by “A Heart For People.” Their mission promotes physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing through community service. The organization assists families of South Florida through food security, literacy, education, and access to dental care; their Program offers weekly meal deliveries, English classes for ESL students, and free comprehensive dental care. An online audience can also engage with devotional posts via their “Food for Thought” Blog. In collaboration with local companies, government agencies, and churches, Caring for Miami strives to create lasting change: by “serving the underserved and caring for the needs of our community” (Home, 2022).

Reference:

Caring for Miami. (2022, February 24). Home. caringformiami.org

It is the mission of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. to “serve those in need, build communities, and work for justice on behalf of all of God’s children (CCADM, 2022).” Since 1931, Catholic Charities has earned numerous service achievements. The agency assists in areas of adoption, rehabilitation for substance use, child development, the elderly, immigrants and refugees, homelessness prevention, and disaster relief. In collaboration with other campaigns, Catholic Charities has joined a nationwide effort to celebrate God’s love through social ministries.

The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program (URMP) of Catholic Charities helps each child and youth that enter the United States without their parents or guardians to achieve their full potential with the assistance of a team of social workers, foster parents and mentors that handle all aspects of the case management process. For the long-term success of unaccompanied minors and youth, nurturing foster families and mentorship are crucial elements that last a lifetime (personal communication, April 25, 2022).

Reference:

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. CCADM. (2022). Home. www.ccadm.org

(M. Farias, personal communication, April 25, 2022).

Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) is a faith-based ministry serving professional men across the United States. Inspired by the Great Commission, the organization stands to represent Jesus Christ within the marketplace: one man at a time; it provides leadership resources, one-on-one mentoring, and discipleship tools to help all professionals live in bold, obedient faith. Since 1930, CBMC has aimed to reach others with the Gospel by “doing business God’s way” (About Us, 2022).

Reference:

Christian Business Men’s Connection. CBMC. (2022). About Us. www.cbmc.com

Chosen provides mental and behavioral health services to families touched by the child welfare system, including adoptive and foster families, kinship caregivers, and biological parents safely reunified with their children. Chosen’s life-on-life, attachment-focused approach helps families heal and thrive together.

References:

Chosen Care. (2022, January 14). Adoption, Foster & Birth Parent Support Services. https://www.chosen.care

Envision expands across seven programs and over 20 cities globally. Emphasizing hands-on ministry experience, the faith-based organization cultivates world-changing leaders through the Gospel of Jesus. Programs include discipleship training, short-term mission trips, and long-term overseas engagement. Wherever the location, Kingdom Workers experience “holistic development and growth as Christ-followers” (Home, 2022). Mobilizing the Church through missions allows God’s Kingdom to reach all ethnicities and transform lives all over the globe.

Reference:

Envision. (2022). Home. www.weareenvision.com

Genesis Hopeful Haven is a faith-based organization rooted in “New Beginnings.” Their mission promotes “hope, healing, and independence” through transitional housing and enrichment programs for at-risk youth in foster care. Genesis Hopeful Haven’s “Foster Parent Model” cultivates a supportive environment for teens to realize their full potential as “world-changers.” Their holistic approach to community service enhances the physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being of all involved. Programs include therapeutic services, life skill education, and independent-living workshops. Younger members can also participate in recreational activities like gardening, muay thai, and painting. By nurturing true confidence and self-esteem, all youth can “embrace who they are, define their future, and change the world” (GHHaven Services, 2022).

Reference:

Genesis Hopeful Haven. (2022). GHHaven Services. www.ghhaven.org/services

The Global Orphan Project’s Careportal promotes connections within the Circles of Care around vulnerable children. It exists as “a holistic, healthy approach to caring for kids” by “bringing together the family, church, and community.” Since 2004, GO Project’s vision has expanded into 12 countries worldwide– partnering with the indigenous church to develop culturally relevant solutions against the Orphan Crisis. Anyone can volunteer with GO Project through their online platform called CarePortal. Their app launched in Miami, Florida in 2021 through their implementing partner, One More Child. It focuses on three unique roles: Community Responders, Church Responders, and Caregivers. Careportal’s Three-Strand Model “brings the needs of hurting children and families in your community to your attention.” In doing so, the global community is fully equipped to “break the orphan cycle” and “keep families together” (About Us at Careportal, 2021).

Reference:

Careportal. (2021, February 17). About Us at CarePortal and the Global Orphan Project. www.careportal.org/about-us

His House Children’s Home (HHCH) is a private non-profit, faith-based organization that has served over 19,000 children over 31 years of service. It supports and cares for foster children based on the love of God and the love of children. His House provides residential group and shelter care services to children in out-of-home care, state-approved foster care licensing and placement through DCF and ChildNet, clinical and independent living services provided on campus and foster care placement for unaccompanied alien children. The facility has 232 beds, with 88 beds allocated to foster care youth.

Reference:

His House Children’s Home. (2020, July 10). Residential Services. www.hhch.org

(S. Torres, personal communication, July 8, 2020)

His Purpose Ministries is a faith-based organization inspired by the complexities of a Mangrove tree. Mangroves, unlike other trees, exhibit complex root structures; the intricate mesh of their roots offers a serene habitat for many organisms. His Purpose Ministries serves “as a catalytic organization” igniting a greater movement: “to help churches and organizations move away from a sense of territoriality” towards “working together for the common good of a community.” Since 2021, their mission promotes “education, recreation, and community” through collaborative efforts and Gospel Love (Home, 2021).

References:

His Purpose Ministries. (2021, April 24). Home.

hispurposeministries.org

Hope 4 Kids is a faith-based Foster and Adoption Parent Association (FAPA) that was founded out of the foster and adoption ministry of Christ Fellowship (CF) Church. It is the only Christian FAPA, with the goal to find a Christian home for every child in crisis while following the Biblical definition of fostering and adoption. Hope for Kids recruits quality Christian foster and adoptive parents in Miami-Dade County. As a ministry, it has licensed over 300 families, leading to 600 children fostered and 100 children adopted.

Reference:

Hope 4 Kids. (2020, May 5). Welcome to H4K. https://h4kids.org

(F. Gonzalez, personal communication, June 15, 2020).

Hope, Heart and Home (HHH) is a faith-based community coalition that partners with seven child welfare agencies and the 11 parishes of the South Dade Deanery of the Archdiocese of Miami to support children in the foster care system. HHH currently acts as a clearinghouse for prospective volunteers. Volunteers are interviewed to determine which of the five areas of foster care ministry fits them best. It is based in the South Dade Deanery of the Archdiocese of Miami. Eric Schwindeman created the coalition with three parishes (St. John Neumann, St. Louis, and St. Catherine) and it has since expanded to 11 Catholic parishes in Miami-Dade County. Hope, Heart & Home recognized the brave commitment of taking a child into a home and created an exceptional model showing parishioners and congregations that there is a place for everyone to serve.

References:

Hope Heart & Home Ministry. (2022). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ministryHHH/

(E. Schwindeman, personal communication, July 7, 2020).

Lifeline Children’s Services is a faith-based organization empowered by the Gospel of Jesus. Their mission promotes family wholeness and discipleship “from placement, to post-placement, to permanency.” Lifeline assists families through international and domestic adoption, unexpected pregnancy support, parent coaching, family counseling, and educational training. Their “Families Count” Program equips the Church through a six week, court-appointed education plan for at-risk biological parents. Christ-centered discipleship encourages spiritual growth and healing, while providing practical strategies for family restoration and preservation.

Families Count offers hurting families “a place of safety… where they could openly talk about how they could improve their lives.” The ministry expands into all 50 states, including the U.S. territories; opportunities are even available for U.S. citizens living abroad. Lifeline believes a gospel-centered family is “God’s designed place for nurturing and facilitating health.” (Lifeline & Riddle, 2022). Through this biblical worldview, hurting families and vulnerable children can receive the support needed to flourish in His Love.

References:

Lifeline, & Riddle, J. (2022, April 18). Bringing Gospel Hope to Vulnerable Children. Lifeline Children’s Services.

lifelinechild.org

Made to Thrive Ministry is a nonprofit, faith-based organization intervening for the vulnerable in the epidemic of human trafficking. Their mission “exists to empty child welfare systems in South Florida” through placement retention and public awareness. As sixty percent of child sex trafficking victims have been within foster care, Made to Thrive intends to eradicate the need for group homes and shelters entirely. Their ministry offers foster and adoptive placement assistance, family services ministry start-up, and child welfare education. Specialized programs, such as Made to Thrive Academy, are designed to meet the unique needs of children through individual academic plans. Nurturing children through intentional guidance, supervision, and love eliminates barriers toward achieving permanency– because “children and teens aren’t made to just survive – they are made to thrive! (About Us, 2022)”

References:

Made to Thrive Ministry. (2022). About Us. www.madetothriveministry.org

One Church One Child (OCOC) is a statewide private, non-profit, faith-based organization that provides adoption support services in contractual partnership with the Department of Children and Families Central Office. Its board of directors and staff are a bridge between the church, state, and communities. Its goal is to find at least one family in each church to become a foster (temporary) or adoptive (permanent) placement for a child in foster care. OCOC was started in Illinois in 1980 to address the overrepresentation of Black children in foster care. This successful child welfare program was recognized by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government as the Innovations in American Government Winner in 1986.

Reference:

One Church One Child Florida. (2022, May 5). How to Adopt a Child | One Church One Child Florida. https://www.ococfl.org

(Dr. A. Sailor, personal communication, July 10, 2020)

One More Child is a Christ-centered organization founded in 1904 in the small town of Arcadia, Florida, with the vision to mobilize and support the local church by showing the love of God to children and their families while providing stable foster homes, wraparound services and other supportive measures within the foster care system. One More Child began as the Florida Baptist Orphanage. However, its core mission has remained constant.

One More Child concentrates on six key issues:

• Anti-sex trafficking
• Foster care
• Single mother residential and community programs
• Family support (all-encompassing preventive and supportive care for families in need)
• Child hunger initiatives (domestically and internationally)
• International care and ministry programs

Reference:

One More Child. (2022, May 5). One More Child. onemorechild.org

(S. Robert, Personal communication, July 1, 2020).

Safe Families for Children (SFFC) is a non-profit, multi-site volunteer movement fueled to support families in distress. Their mission aims to create an extended family-like support system for families through communities of devoted volunteers, who are motivated by compassion to keep vulnerable children safe and families intact. As part of the statewide effort, Safe Families’ Miami Chapter has mobilized the Churches of Miami-Dade and Broward counties– to join a movement to keep children safe, families together, and communities transformed.

Our Core Values are:

• Child-Focused
• Faith-Based
• Focused on Strengthening Families
• Volunteer-Driven
• Non-Coercive
• Committed to Collaborative Relationships
• Driven by Compassion and Committed to Justice

Since 2003, SFFC remains passionate about preventing child abuse/neglect and decreasing the number of vulnerable children unnecessarily entering the foster care system.

Reference:

Safe Families For Children. (2022, April 4). Home. safe-families.org

The Agape Network is a nonprofit, faith-based organization inspired by the unconditional love of a Perfect Creator. With a mission based on “compassion, hope, and faith”, clients and their families can receive professional treatment through a holistic, patient-centered lens. Agape’s Health-Home Model offers behavioral health services, primary care services, and transitional care management. Their highly-skilled team (of more than 150 members) has developed a total wellness approach to “psychological, social, physical, and spiritual health” for individuals and families alike (Home, 2022). It ensures their clients remain productive, engaged, and joyful individuals within our community, with the therapeutic support they need to thrive.

Reference:

Agape. (2022). Home. www.theagapenetwork.org

Touching Miami with Love is a faith-based organization serving the Miami-Dade neighborhoods of Overtown and West Homestead. Since 1995, their mission to “share the love of Christ by offering hope, opportunities, and resources” has truly inspired the community. Year-round programs are tailored to engage “spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally” while reaching nearly 400 students every weekday (Sharing Hope Since 1995, 2022). Instructional Advocates lead K-5th Graders through group literacy, fitness, and social-emotional learning sessions, while students in 6-12th Grade participate in college readiness, job training, and civic engagement. Weekly Devotional Time is an essential part of Touching Miami with Love’s curriculum.

Reference:

Touching Miami with Love. (2022). Sharing Hope Since 1995. touchingmiamiwithlove.org

Wellspring Counseling was incorporated in 2009 by co-founders, Tova Kreps, LCSW, and Christine Schlottman, LMHC, as a nonprofit counseling center addressing the need for a professional Christian mental health organization in Miami-Dade County. Wellspring has eight partner sites (churches or Christian nonprofits) throughout Miami-Dade County in which they have counseling offices and/or clinical programs. Through Telehealth, they also provide counseling throughout Florida and in some other states. Wellspring utilizes a holistic approach to mental health, encouraging clients to address the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, behavioral and spiritual aspects of their lives. Through counseling and education, Wellspring exists to bring about transforming change to improve the lives of individuals, communities and generations to come.

Reference:

Wellspring Counseling. (2022). About Us. www.wellspringmiami.org