Click here for a PDF version of this list.
March is Social Worker Appreciation month! Social workers are on the front lines every day serving children and families in crisis. Here are some wonderful ways your church can make a difference in supporting local workers.
1. Pray for them.
One of the most powerful tools everyone has access to is prayer. We can advocate for the safety and wellbeing of social workers to God the Father. Lift up their own families and the families they serve in prayer.
Ephesians 6:18: “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
Learn more at www.111project.org/pray
2. Host an appreciation lunch.
Social workers work long hours and don’t often have the time to stop and eat a healthy meal. Many meals are consumed in cars and staff don’t always get quality time together. By hosting an appreciation lunch once a month, you have the chance to feed these public servants and show them that you care.
1 Peter 4:8-9: “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.”
3. Encourage them.
Words of encouragement can go a long way! Social workers work in a field where they are often seen as the bad guy and are torn down constantly. Next time you see a social worker, thank them for their hard work and tell them what an asset they are to their community. Bring thank you cards to the office.
Hebrews 10:24-25: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
4. Meet practical needs at the office for families and children that visit.
Bring donuts, snacks, drinks, or toys to your local DHS office once a month. Providing tangible, practical items – like toiletries, diapers, wipes, or disposable cups/plates for snack time – is extremely helpful for the families that utilize the office. Plus, you indirectly show your appreciation for the workers and help make the office a great environment for community connection! Some social workers will use their own money to buy snacks for children waiting in the DHS office – we can help ease that burden by providing basic snacks and some of these necessities!
Proverbs 11:25: “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
5. Raise awareness for the need for more foster families.
Having safe and loving families available for children provides support for case workers and lifts the weight off their shoulders and the families they are walking alongside. When local families can take sibling sets, it provides case workers with more foster family options for best placement and limits driving for visitation when children are all in one home or closer to their biological families.
Hebrews 13:1-2: “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”
Consider committing your family at www.111project.org/commitmyfamily/
These are just some ideas! We encourage you to find ways that work for your church and community to pour into your social workers this March! Need connections to your local child welfare office. Contact us at www.111project.org/contact-us/ and we will help you make that connection!