Going the Extra Mile

for a Child at Christmas
 

24 January 2008 - TW

FT. MYERS, FL--A few days before Christmas, the Ft. Myers staff of Lutheran Services Florida’s child protective program discovered that the mother of one of their children had been arrested and would be in jail over the holidays. That would mean 10-year-old "Erica"* and her adult brother would be alone for Christmas.

When Case Manager Karl Mompoint asked Erica if she had any relatives that she could possibly visit for Christmas, "Erica" stated that she wanted to be with her grandmother in New Jersey.

“Karl went the extra mile to arrange a court hearing so that this child could spend Christmas with her extended family,” said Patricia Mont’Alverne, Case Management Organization (CMO) Supervisor. “This was no easy task, as emergency hearings are difficult to schedule, especially at Christmas time.”

But Karl Mompoint got it done.  And with everything settled in the courts, he picked up Erica early in the morning and put her on a plane to New Jersey.

After the visit, the child’s grandmother reported to the Ft. Myers staff that Erica “had a true family Christmas for the first time in years,” said Ms. Mont’Alverne. “She visited with relatives she had not seen in months, received many gifts and was the center of attention.”

The CMO staff in Ft. Myers works with child protective services and with foster and adoptive care for Lutheran Services Florida.

*The name of the child in this article has been changed to a pseudonym to preserve confidentiality.
 

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