It is our greatest opportunity and challenge to pour love and stability into a hurting child and to provide the “best” sibling care during their separation from home.
Our Mission
Harvest Edge will better equip each child for their tomorrow by providing the security of a loving home while fulfilling daily needs, and building foundational strengths in a nurturing and healthy environment.
Our Story
If only “we could do more” resounded loudly in our hearts each time we would leave the abused and abandoned children that we had come to love during our mission work. During each trip, we’d shared hope and helped those in need. But on the last day, those little faces of joy disappeared and returned to sadness as the realities of life pealed in their hearts. Seeing their tears burnt a deep desire within our souls to help – birthing Harvest Edge.
FROM OUR FOUNDERS KIM & DAVID
It was once said that every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see. This quote rings so true in the story of Harvest Edge.
In third grade, I vividly remember my new friend living in a "hidden" house with her mom so that her father could no longer beat them. I also remember attending church each Sunday and observing the downcast demeanors of the children from the local children's home. For David, it was growing up with a foster home across the street from his home - where he observed daily activities, more awful than good, that left him with a desire to make a difference in the disparity of foster living.
Fast forward to the last 28 years, David and I traveled the world for missions - caring for children living in extreme circumstances. Many did not have basic life necessities: food, shelter, clothing, love. We've served locally, as well, with Miracle Hill and have served on the Board of Triune Mercy Center - both deepening our knowledge of the generational impacts of addiction, poverty, and a life void of security and stability.
With a strong conviction to help, in January 2020, we knew it was time to put action to our intentions. Of course, we were totally unaware what the spring of 2020 would hold; we never would have imagined the ramifications of the Pandemic and how it would change our everyday life. However, in the stillness of this time, we began researching, reading, and learning from others - judges, case managers, and positions in between - that are involved in foster care services.
This research confirmed a severe need for sibling care in the South Carolina Department of Social Social Services (SCDSS), and this was indeed the season for our planting.
The FaCTS
As of August 1, 2021, there are a total number of 4,206 children in foster care and 1,825 regular foster homes. This means there are 2,381 children in South Carolina without a home. A majority of these children are ages newborn through 12 years old.
Our Vision
Harvest Edge is a “gathering home” situated on 1.4 acres in the Upstate of SC for sibling groups between the ages of five and ten.
WHO WE ARE
There is a desperate need for sibling care in South Carolina. Children being removed from their homes is devastating enough, but then separating the children from their siblings adds another layer of trauma. We believe keeping siblings together enables part of the family unit to remain intact helping to mitigate additional confusion and fear. Siblings are often “rocks of encouragement and comfort” to each other, which helps to establish support and strength in their new home.
Harvest Edge is a safe haven where a child can be a child and where a home offers love and guidance. Realizing that each sibling set come with different past hurts, we create a development plan, coined the Win Initiative, tailored to each child's needs to foster growth while in our gathering home.
Our home provides compassion, communication, and consistency, so that the children of Harvest Edge are immersed in an environment of:
- Love and Nurturement
- Encouragement
- Engagement
- Learning and Development
- Life-Enrichment
We believe each child is special and has a unique purpose in life. Our program helps each child:
- Discover his/her talents
- Build confidence and self-esteem
- Develop focus and self-control
It’s our desire to teach each child how to appropriately handle victory and embrace mistakes when they happen, so they don’t quit. This valuable life skill instills perseverance and endurance to reach their full potential and succeed even when faced with failure/hardship. Along the way, we want our siblings to be encouraged and celebrate their achievements with each other. We want them to reap a harvest of hope and joy together that will last a lifetime.
Why Harvest Edge Exists
It takes dedication to hear laughter from a broken-hearted child, observe healing in a hurting child, and experience a hug initiated by a child that has been abused by the very person that should have loved them most. But to us, the planting and pruning is worth the reaping of a life-changing harvest for our children.
Our Gathering Family
Our Gathering Family concept is what makes us unique in foster living. Daily pouring love into these hurting sibling groups is achieved with our holistic family approach. Our Gathering Family is made up of caregivers that provide a loving, engaging, and encouraging home environment to rebuild siblings and ultimately, having the goal to reunite their families.
THE IMPACT OF UNITY
Society too often puts a stigma on foster children, but that begins to change when people come together to make a difference because they realize these children are incredible gifts to us all.
GATHERING PARENTS
GATHERING PARENTS
GATHERING PARENTS
Cares for the children as if they were their own with emphasis placed on quality time to help each child establish a true sense of belonging.
GATHERING GIVERS
GATHERING PARENTS
GATHERING PARENTS
Helps establish the Win Initiative for each child in partnership with the Gathering Parents. Conducts educational tutoring and weekly counseling sessions.
GATHERING COORDINATOR
GATHERING RESPITE COUPLE
GATHERING RESPITE COUPLE
Liaisons between DSS Case Manager and visitation sessions with biological parent(s)/family unit. Tracks progression of reunification plan with family.
GATHERING RESPITE COUPLE
GATHERING RESPITE COUPLE
GATHERING RESPITE COUPLE
Weekly overnight visits to reprieve Gathering Parents. Reinforces each child's Win Initiative and acts as an additional line of support.
This holistic family approach provides tremendous help for the Gathering Parents eliminating burn out. In addition, with resources and communication, we do our utmost to help each biological parent(s)/family unit in their complete healing and successful reunification process to break generational cycles of foster care.
Copyright © 2024 Harvest Edge Gathering Home - All Rights Reserved.
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