Bright Sky Ministries

It’s hard for foster parents to truly prepare for the unknown children who suddenly arrive in their lives. Justin and Jessica Davis learned this first-hand when their close friends from church became instant parents to some boys who showed up with just the clothes on their backs.

“They had nothing, so our family decided to buy them some essentials,” Justin said. “Our own children had so much fun picking out shirts, socks and housecoats for these boys. We realized that we wanted to do more, so we formed the non-profit, Bright Sky Ministry, to raise money to buy new, needed items for foster families.”

Bright Sky is made up of the Davis family and six board members who create awareness and raise funds online and through an annual turkey trot in Piedmont and a golf tournament in Edmond. Foster families fill out a simple request form, and Justin and Jessica review it within 24 hours, after which they make online purchases quickly to assure that the items arrive at the family’s home within a few days.

“Timing is so important,” Jessica said, “because the things they need–they needed yesterday!”

“Especially the rural cities,” Justin added. “Big cities have more resources, but a rural family might drive several hours to get what they need, and larger items are hard to transport. So, having items shipped straight to their home makes me really happy. We personally call every family to let them know we are here for them and other foster support programs as well,” Justin said. “We hear their relief and gratitude in their voices.” According to Jessica, the two essentials that parents struggle with most, on short notice, are beds and car seats. “Last year, a case worker reached out to us because a foster family with two biological children was taking on five foster siblings to keep them from being separated. That hit me hard. It warms my heart to think there are people that selfless.”

When Bright Sky Ministry began in 2018, the Davis family was thrilled to help 50 families, but the number continues to grow. In 2019, they helped 300 families nation-wide, last year it was 400 families. Next year, their goal is to raise enough funding to help 1,000 families!

“I know that sounds crazy, but we have a passionate board and growing community interest,” Justin said. “We have our process down, so it doesn’t take an inordinate amount of time, since we both work other jobs—but we enjoy it so much. One of my favorite moments was delivering a handmade wooden bunk bed, made by one of our donors, to a family. Those kids were so excited, it made a big impact on that family.”

On a personal level, the Davis family is pleased to model generosity and empathy to their own children. “Hopefully, they will grow up knowing that helping other people is our biggest calling in life,” Justin said. “Foster parents are the real heroes here. They are living on the frontline, caring for these kids and facing the real challenges. We are here to support them and remind them that they are loved.”

To learn more visit www.brightskyministry.com.