The Impact of an Advocate on a Young Mom

Londyn* is a young mom with a high-energy, three-year-old son. When she called Together for Good (TFG), she was overwhelmed by her son, Xander*, who was requiring a great deal of her time, energy, and commitment. With barely any support to help care for Xander, Londyn was putting much of her life on hold. She hoped TFG would be able to provide a host family for Xander, allowing her to have a break and time to focus on moving her future forward.

With Xander needing a special host family who was able to keep up with his energy, it began taking a little longer than expected to find the right fit. In the meantime, Londyn was matched with a parent advocate, Debbie*.

Debbie is retired and felt called to volunteer with TFG. Debbie and Londyn came from very different backgrounds. Despite their differences, however, Debbie quickly became someone Londyn could trust and rely on, and Londyn became someone Debbie was wholeheartedly committed to helping.

Over and over, she has told Londyn’s case manager, “I just love her [Londyn] and that little boy!” When finding a host family for Xander continued to be difficult, Debbie felt called to step in and care for Xander. She asked her husband, John, if he was willing to serve in this way. After prayer and intentional conversations, they decided to become host parents themselves. They began caring for Xander through respite hostings, allowing Londyn time to rest as well as work toward her career.

Debbie and John have become trusted, committed people in Londyn and Xander’s lives. Debbie is steadfast in encouraging Londyn, and both she and John pour out love on Xander. Even more amazingly, Debbie and John’s community has become involved in Londyn and Xander’s lives. Their grandsons love spending time with Xander and always ask to come over during a hosting, and their church has welcomed Londyn and Xander when they attend events.

Londyn has not only found support in Debbie as she parents Xander, she has found a friendship that has allowed her and Xander’s life to flourish.

*Names are changed to protect privacy.