WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Christine Wernsing and her husband Brent have been foster parents for over a decade.
“We had over 40 children come in and out of our home. We have seven adoptive children that got to stay forever. Foster care and adoption have been such a blessing in our lives,” Christine said.
When they moved to Polk County, ECHO Ministries was a huge help to their family. The Lakeland-based nonprofit provides comfort and support to foster children and families opening their homes.
“ECHO Ministries will go as far as to build a bed for these children or find a bed for these children. Any needs that foster families are having ECHO Ministries is going to go out of their way to make sure that those children have it,” Christine said.
The Wernsings are now giving back to the cause, one cup of coffee at a time.
“We have different signature drinks. We have one called reunification, that’s when a child is reunified with their biological family,” Brent said.
They opened ECHO Coffee House in Winter Haven, where every sale supports ECHO Ministries.
“All of our proceeds, there’s no profit here. We get our products; we pay our employees, and the rest goes to support ECHO Ministries financially,” Brent said.
The coffee shop also has a store where foster families can get donated items, including clothing, shoes, diapers, hygiene products and furniture.
“Many children that we have coming into foster care, come with the clothes on their back. We’ve seen that as foster parents what a need that is. The children want to feel loved and cared for and they get to come in here and shop and get all things they need,” said Christine.
She said although not everyone is called to be a foster parent, everyone can do their part.
"Even if you're not able to come in and donate clothing items or come in and serve. You can come to our coffee shop, and you buy a cup of coffee, and you are supporting foster children in this community,” Christine said.
Community members can also drop off donations here.
Brides, families fighting for refunds after event venue closes suddenly
“We’ve struggled so hard to scrape the money to be able to do this for her,” Irizarry said. “She’s my only girl and I wanted this so much for her.”
Couples and families who had weddings and events planned at a well-known venue that abruptly closed claim they’re out thousands of dollars and aren’t being given refunds. Annette Irizarry was supposed to hold her 15-year-old daughter’s quinceañera in August at the Clearwater location and said she’s now out the $6,160 she paid. Without that money, Irizarry said she can’t afford to have her daughter’s celebration somewhere else.
