We've recently discovered that Chef Jessica Bright knows her way around the kitchen. But there's more to her than a spatula and mixing bowls. Jessica was named as 'Governor's Point of Light for Adoption Awareness Month,' a prestigious award presented by Florida Governor Charlie Crist for exemplary volunteer service.
Evidently, Chef Jessica isn't satisfied with merely providing a home to a child who had no home. She is relentless as she pulls from all of her resources to promote foster care and adoption. She has also spent countless hours launching and organizing outreach events in an effort to increase awareness and improve the lives for foster children.
But what was it that brought a celebrity chef into the world of foster care? Jessica said, 'I've always wanted to adopt, even from the time I was a child. All my favorite characters in books were adopted, like Annie and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. They all just wanted love. It's not easy to find a loving family, not only in fairy tales, but in real life.'
She felt hindered to move forward with her dream due to the thousands of dollars needed to adopt a child. Once Jessica learned that she wouldn't have to pay to have a child in her home, the door opened.
She and her husband began pursuing their foster parenting license. She felt they were in a 'win-win' situation. If the biological parents remedied the problems that caused the removal of their child, then she and her husband had served their purpose. If not, then they would be able to expand their family.
'I had friends who initially tried to discourage me from becoming a foster parent, afraid that I'd get hurt. They would ask, 'What if you lose the child?'
'You think about this and realize that it's not about me but the fact that I want to help a child. It's about helping the orphans like James 1:27 instructs us to do.
'When a foster child came into my home, I realized that I wanted her to feel that someone loved and appreciated her. I knew there wasn't a promise of any future relationship, but she needed love more than I needed security.
'The reward is much greater than the investment. The important thing is that with each child, you need to love them today like you're going to love them forever, and let tomorrow take care of itself.'
For more information on foster care and adoption, contact Family Support Services.
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