Somewhere in a city near you, perhaps right down the street, a social worker is standing in a family’s living room trying to answer a heartbreaking question: “Can these children stay safely at home?”
The mother loves her children, and the children love their mother. She’s doing the best she can, but they don’t have a bed, and their electricity is about to be shut off. Their grandma is overwhelmed and unable to help. They have no support system, no connections. What happens next often depends on whether someone shows up for these children and millions of others every single year.
Key Takeaways
- Isolation is dangerous. Social disconnection carries health risks similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
- The Church’s calling. Scripture points to the Church as God’s hands and feet for families in crisis.
- The real gap: not a lack of compassion, but a lack of connection between willing helpers and families in need.
- CarePortal bridges that gap, matching vetted family needs with churches and community members in real time.
- Relationships > resources. A single act of help, like providing a bed, can spark a lasting relationship and change the trajectory for a family.
- Getting involved is easy — respond to needs or sign up your church through CarePortal.
The Cost of Isolation
The U.S. Children’s Bureau reported that every year, over 7 million children1 are brought to the attention of child welfare systems because someone is concerned about their safety and well-being.
That means millions of children are growing up in families facing serious challenges and instability; families where someone became concerned enough to call for help. Behind each of those calls is a family in crisis, under tremendous pressure, and lacking the support system they need.
At the same time, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about social disconnection that should stop all of us in our tracks2. The report found that the mortality impact of social disconnection is comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. In other words, being socially disconnected is as dangerous as smoking.
Social disconnection most profoundly impacts the families already living on the margins and amid crisis. Families are trying to navigate overwhelming challenges on their own.
The Church is Plan A
If disconnection is harmful, then connection heals. Families may be isolated, disconnected, and carrying burdens they were never meant to carry alone.
And when we see families struggling, the question becomes: Who is responsible for stepping in? Because behind every struggling family is a child made in the image of God, and people who are worthy of care, dignity, and support.
As Christians, I believe Scripture gives us a clear answer.
God designed the Church to be His hands and feet in the world. Throughout the Bible, we see His heart for children, parents, widows, orphans, and neighbors in need. The local church has always been God’s plan for caring for people in crisis. I believe the Church is uniquely positioned to bring both practical help and meaningful connection to families who need it most.
Now, the challenge isn’t that the Church doesn’t care.
Everywhere I go, I meet people who want to help. Churches want to love their neighbors well. Families want to support foster families. Business owners want to make a difference in their communities.
The problem is that most people don’t know who needs help, where the needs are, or how to get connected in a way that is truly helpful. They don’t want to just check a box. They want to ensure that their compassion is reaching families who truly need support.
That’s where CarePortal comes in.
How CarePortal Works
At its simplest, CarePortal equips churches and communities to respond to the vetted needs of vulnerable children and families in real, practical ways. Through technology, CarePortal connects children and families in crisis with churches and community members who want to help in real time.
I often describe it like this: Uber didn’t create drivers or riders. It simply created a trusted way to connect people who otherwise would never find each other. CarePortal does something similar, which we like to call Care-Sharing.
A Trusted Way to Serve
Each CarePortal request is submitted by a trusted child-serving professional who is already walking alongside a family and has identified a need that could help stabilize that family. That gives churches and community members confidence that their compassion is reaching families who truly need help.
Maybe it’s a bed for the children mentioned earlier, or help with their utilities. If someone needs a bed from a stranger, they are almost certainly carrying burdens far bigger than simply needing a bed. That request is shared with nearby churches and caring people in the community who can help provide the resources needed to support that family. And it’s not just about meeting needs. That’s what makes this so powerful. It’s about relationships, community, and reminding families they are not alone.
I’ve seen a crib become the beginning of a loving, supportive relationship for a young mom aging out of foster care, so she doesn’t become just another statistic.
Relationships Change Everything
I believe family brokenness cannot be solved by systems alone. Systems matter. Policies matter. Child welfare professionals matter greatly. But at the end of the day, you cannot legislate love.
Families need people. They need healthy relationships. They need neighbors willing to move toward them instead of away from them.
Generations ago, when a family hit a hard season, neighbors, churches, and communities naturally stepped in to help carry the burden. Today, many families navigate crises without those support systems. What I’ve seen over and over again is that when families have consistent support, it changes what’s possible. Parents have people they can call before a crisis escalates. Foster families find the strength to keep going. Young people aging out of foster care have trusted adults who stay present long after the immediate need is met.
This is one of the ways we can love our neighbors and care for the least of these. Relationships may not solve every challenge, but isolation makes every burden heavier.
That’s the real opportunity through CarePortal: creating opportunities for relationships, support, and community to grow. Because when neighbors begin seeing and serving their neighbors, cycles of isolation can begin to break. And over time, that can change the trajectory of families for generations.
How to Get Involved With CarePortal
Whether you’re a church leader, a business owner, or simply someone who wants to support families in your community, there’s a place for you in this work.
Some people engage directly through their church. Others provide items, financial support, or other practical resources that allow local churches to care for families in meaningful ways. Every act of generosity becomes part of something bigger, helping families feel seen, supported, and cared for.
Getting started is simple.
Whether you’d like to respond to needs in your community or help your church get involved, just follow the steps below.
Respond to Needs in Your Community Through CarePortal
- Visit CarePortal’s Browse Needs page to view requests in your area
- Find a request that moves your heart and click “Yes, I Can Help!”
- Sign up by following the steps to create an account.
- Help meet real needs for children and families in your community.
Sign Up Your Church for CarePortal
- Visit CarePortal’s Church Page.
- Click “Sign up my church.”
- Submit the form
- CarePortal team member will reach out about next steps
Every CarePortal request matters. It’s an opportunity to see and serve vulnerable children and families, not just with resources but with relationships.
Every time someone chooses to step toward a struggling family, they help remind that family they are not alone.
And when people consistently show up for families in difficult seasons, hope grows, isolation begins to break, and stronger families and communities begin to flourish.
Summary
Every year, millions of children come to the attention of child welfare systems because their families are in crisis and lack support. At the same time, research shows that social disconnection carries health risks comparable to smoking. CarePortal exists to close that gap, connecting vulnerable families identified by trusted professionals with churches and community members ready to help. More than meeting practical needs like beds or utility bills, CarePortal creates lasting relationships that remind struggling families they are not alone, and gives the Church a clear, tangible way to live out its calling to care for the least of these.
©2026 Adrien Lewis. Used with Permission.
Citations
- 2024 Child Maltreatment Report, Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ↩︎
- Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023. ↩︎
