18 Seconds

Statistics show that every 18 seconds, a child somewhere in the world becomes an orphan. In a typical day of work, 1,600 children will become orphans. In the United States alone, there are half a million children in the foster care system, and about 120,000 children waiting for adoptive placements. These are staggering numbers. The danger is that they stay "just numbers".

Last night, Tricia and I went to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert in Brookfield. I've blogged about his efforts to promote adoption in the past. He has founded a ministry called "Shaohanna's Hope" which provides grants to families who want to adopt, but can't. During his current concert tour, the ministry collects spare change to provide an on-the-spot grant to a family in the area who is adopting.

At the concert last night, over $5,400 was raised. They typically give a $4,000 grant on a night. There are also donors who do matching contributions (to varying degrees). What that means is that based on the graciousness of the crowd last night, two families will receive the grants.

In the time that you've taken to read this post, another 4 or 5 children have become orphans.

Thanks for reading!