A collaborative effort between a Memphis church and the faith-based nonprofit Isaiah 117 is underway to create a safe haven for foster children awaiting placement.
Under the shade of a few trees, construction is progressing on a special house beside the White Station Church of Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. This building will provide a sanctuary for foster children during their transitional period, according to minister Bob Turner.
A year ago, the White Station church sold half an acre to Isaiah 117, a nonprofit that has expanded to nearly 60 locations in 13 states. “This is how God does it,” said Ronda Paulson, founder and executive director of Isaiah 117. “He moves his people, and he unites them. If people just give a little bit of what they have, you have a home that can lavishly love on children.”
Based out of Elizabethton, Tennessee, Isaiah 117 aims to reduce trauma for children, lighten the load for child welfare services, and ease the transition for foster families. Ava Conley, the organization’s location director for Shelby County, where Memphis is located, emphasized that the new house will allow children to spend “one of the hardest days of their lives” with loving people. “We know that there are gaps here, and we just want to be a part of changing the trajectory of our communities,” Conley said. “It’s so fulfilling to be around people who are missioned together.”
The White Station church's involvement in foster care predates their collaboration with Isaiah 117. The congregation began its own ministry, Threads of Hope, in 2014 to provide for foster children, collecting clothing, diapers, and other necessities. “I feel like God was preparing White Station to be a part of Isaiah 117 for many years,” said Anna Barber, who leads Threads of Hope. “It’s really opened their eyes to that need, and it has really become heavy on their heart.”
In preparation for the Isaiah 117 house opening, White Station is hosting fundraising meals and volunteer events. This location next to the church will be the organization’s first in Memphis, a metropolitan area with a population of 1.3 million. “Any city church needs to have partnerships,” Turner said. “You can’t do all the work on your own. But if you are going to care for orphans, this is one way to do it.”
The inspiration for Isaiah 117 began when the Paulson family picked up a foster child at the Department of Children’s Services in Johnson City, Tennessee. Entering the foster parent pool in 2014, Ronda and Corey Paulson learned about the challenges children face when entering the foster care system. “It truly devastated me that it’s not a day to celebrate for that child,” Ronda said. Their first foster child, a baby boy named Isaiah, arrived with a borrowed outfit and a cockroach-infested diaper bag. “Isaiah came to us and opened our eyes to this world that we didn’t even know existed,” Ronda said. This experience led to the founding of Isaiah 117 in 2017, named after Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
As Isaiah 117 expands nationwide, Memphis volunteers and White Station members are connecting with the cause. Amy Abbott, a member of the Highland Church of Christ in Cordova, east of Memphis, serves on Isaiah 117’s community awareness committee. Inspired by a podcast about Isaiah 117 coming to Shelby County, Abbott felt compelled to get involved. “I just thought, ‘Wow, did (God) hit me over the head?’ This is all I needed to be involved with.”
Ronda Paulson encourages others to follow this example. “If you feel that God is leading you to start something new, don’t ignore that prompting,” she said. “I do think he is calling his people.”