Our Story
"God's plan takes us places
we never thought we would
or could ever go."
Carissa Wright
Founder
Hi! My name is Carissa Wright, founder of Foster Aid Ministry. If you had asked me when my husband and I first got married, “Where would I be now?”, it would not have been where I am today. During the first 11 years of marriage we did not feel led to have our own children. We were very happy as D.I.N.K’s, double income no kids. But after meeting our Sunday School teacher’s grandchildren, who had a shaky home life, God began to change and mold our hearts for adoption or foster parenting. We took the 12 week foster/adoption classes and went through the long process of waiting for the little girl we had asked for in the foster adoption application. God taught me a lot about patience and relying on him during that time. I tried so hard to find the perfect child for us myself. I became angry when God wasn’t moving fast enough and not allowing him to finish the work He said He would do in our lives. Finally, one day I woke up and proclaimed to God, “Regardless if you give me a child or not I know you brought me down this road for a reason and it is well with my soul”.
As I look back, in that two year time of frustrations and ups and downs God prepared our hearts for greater things. God’s plans are so much greater than ours and it blows me away the faith He has put in my husband and I. Within a few months of my proclamation God not only gave us one little girl he gave us three little girls ages eight, six and two years old. After meeting them for the first time I was scared to death. How could I be a mommy to three children? Faith in God is the only way. I took a leap of faith that day and knew that even though I didn’t think I could do it God had planned this for me and I wanted to follow Him wherever he led me. Becoming an adoptive mother has been one of the biggest leaps of faith I have ever experienced in my life but has been the most beautiful and rewarding thing I have ever experienced. It has been life changing. God equips and helps me every step of the way and my children are a wonderful result of His handy work. Each day God shows me more and more how to give it all to him and trust in his plans for my life.
Because of my foster adoption I always wanted to serve foster care but didn't really know where to start. In 2014 God lead me to a national foster care ministry, The Forgotten Initiative, where I served as a foster care advocate for 4 years in St. Clair County, Alabama. Recently, God has moved me in a direction I never expected and I have now founded my own local ministry, Foster Aid Ministry. My goal is to always keep God first in all things and to connect the local church with the needs and ways they can be the hands and feet of Jesus to the St. Clair County foster care community. My goal is for churches in our community to have a heart for serving foster care.
JESUS IS OUR MODEL FOR SERVING.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?”he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
John 13:12-17
Founder, President - Board of Directors
Care Bag Outreach Coordinator
Resource Closet Coordinator
Please contact me to learn more about how to
serve our foster care community.
205.602.8461
Carissa Wright
Board of Directors
Vice President/Treasurer
Melody and her husband were foster parents for nine years and adopted four of their children through foster care. Through this foster care journey and her friendship with Carissa, she has seen the impact Foster Aid Ministry has made in the lives of foster children and workers and is honored to be part of this ministry.
Melody Higgins
Josh Winslett
Board of Directors
Church Outreach Coordinator
Joshua is the pastor of
Beulah Primitive Baptist Church in Leeds.
He and his wife Rebecca have three children.
Having recently adopted internationally, his family believes strongly that orphan and foster care
is an essential part of Christian ministry.
Board of Directors
Foster Worker Event Coordinator
Hi! My name is Felica Mitchell and I am excited to be apart of the Foster Aid Ministry. I work at Cardiovascular Associates and have been there for 17 years. I have 2 children. Jonathan is in his Junior year at JSU and Ashlyn is in her freshman year at Jeff State. I have volunteered with Carissa for the last few years and know the heart she has for the foster community.
I look forward to serving not only the foster children and parents but also the foster workers.
Felicia Mitchell
Board of Directors
Secretary
Foster Worker Event Coordinator
My name is Jennifer Shay. I started helping with Foster Aid Ministry a few years ago with Care Bags. I realized as I made each one that it broke my heart to think that children so young had been through so much. It has become my passion and heart’s desire to serve foster care children, families, and social workers. I have recently started working on my Masters in Social Work so that I can devote more time to this special group of people.
Jennifer Shay
Board of Directors
Foster Parent Appreciation Coordinator
Pam has been a resident of St. Clair county for over 34 years. She is married and have four grown children.Pam and her husband, David, served as foster parents with Alabama Baptist Children's Home & Family Ministries and now Pam serves our foster care community as a CASA Volunteer.