Advocates step out to aid orphans and vulnerable children through local nonprofit

Philadelphia, PA, May 23, 2017 – With over 400,000 children currently in the U.S. Foster Care system and millions of children around the world waiting to be adopted, the Greater Delaware Valley branch of Bethany Christian Services is hosting “Bethany’s Walk and 5K for Children” in Fort Washington, PA and Mt. Laurel, NJ on Saturday, June 3 to raise funds and awareness for foster care, adoption, and family preservation. Bethany is a global nonprofit organization that has been serving kids and families in the region since 1980. Bethany is committed to bringing and keeping families together.

There are over 6,000 children in the Philadelphia foster system like Christina— torn from the lives they knew and facing uncertain futures. Bethany recruits, trains, and gives expert trauma-informed support to resource families to meet the needs of kids who have suffered tragic loss, violence, or neglect. Christina’s adoptive mom, Tammy said, “I think people don’t really see the need. They see the stories in the news, but I don’t think they really see how many kids need good homes, and that stability.” Christina’s adoption day was joyful and exciting for the whole family, but for Christina, it was so much more. Tammy recalls, “[Christina] just let out a sigh and said, ’Now I know I’m not going anywhere.’”

Participants and advocates in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware are working together to achieve this year’s goal of raising $70,000 to benefit children in foster care, in need of adoption, and help stabilize local families in crisis. The event will take place at two locations: Fort Washington State Park, 420 Militia Hill Rd, Fort Washington, PA and at Laurel Acres Park, 1045 S. Church Street, Mt. Laurel, NJ. Check-in and on-site registration for the Walk and 5K Run opens at 7:45 a.m. Deadline for online registration is May 26th.

Participants will be treated to complimentary snacks and drinks, and there will be free activities for kids, music, and more. The Walk and 5K Run are open to the public and to those who are interested in supporting Bethany’s efforts for finding loving families for children in the Philadelphia area and around the world. All funds received from the event will be put directly back into Bethany’s services to continue the essential work they do in the Greater Delaware Valley.

Sponsors of the walk include: Adoption Advocates - Jay H. Ginsburg, P.C., Chick-fil-A of Cheltenham, Good Stuff Thrift, Hope FM, ISC Mount Laurel, K-Love, Padden Cooper, LLC, Wedding Feature Films, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage – Scott Dirksen and Ronald Slagle, and Word FM.

For more information on the event or to learn more about adoption and family preservation, contact Bethany Christian Services’ Philadelphia office at 215-376-6200. To register for the Walk and 5K Run, visit www.BethanyTristateWalkRun.org