SAN ANTONIO — Every year during the last Sunday of April, as Child Abuse Prevention month comes to an end, churches across the country join in praying for children dealing with abuse. They call this Blue Sunday.
For some local faith leaders Blue Sunday isn’t just a day of prayer, but a day of action.
“We don’t have an option. We need to engage and we need to take the challenge,” Encuentro Church Pastor Manuel Abarca said.
Which is why Pastor Abarca invited Hope Shelton with the Department of Family and Protective services to speak at Sunday’s service.
“This is a way for faith communities to come out and come on board and say we are stepping up into the trenches with you, and we’re going to start with prayer,” Shelton said.
Shelton says in March alone there were nearly 470 child abuse and neglect cases in Bexar County. She says many of the kids had to be removed from their homes.
“In addition to that, right now we have over 359 kids waiting for adoption,” Shelton said.
So, the need for foster homes and adopters is great.
“If the church doesn’t have a mission the church does not exist,” Pastor Abarca said.
The pastor says he and his congregation are making it their mission to help, but he says they can’t do it alone. He’s challenging other community churches to step up as well.
“It’s a command that we need to love our neighbors, that we need to serve them, that we need to bring hope, that we need to give bread. It’s apart of who we are,” Pastor Abarca said.
Without help many of the kids will be placed into community shelter. Shelton says a little time and effort from multiple people can make a big impact.
“You don’t have to do above and beyond what you’re able to do. Sometimes just sharing the news and telling somebody about the need for foster care or that there are hundreds of kids waiting for adoption can help. Sharing that doesn’t cost you anything,” Shelton said.
For more information on how to help you can head over to the Department of Family and Protective Services website or reach out to Hope Shelton directly at Hope.Shelton@dfps.texas.gov.