Free shopping day hosted by local ministry ‘For the One’

DENHAM SPRINGS — Lacey Lobell, a foster and adoptive parent, has launched a new ministry called “For the One,” aimed at supporting foster, adoptive, and reunified families. Her goal is to ease the burdens these families face by providing essential items for children of all ages. This Saturday, November 16, she will host a free shopping event at First Baptist Church in Denham Springs from 3 to 5 p.m., offering new and gently used items for children ranging from infants to teens.

Lobell shared her journey into fostering and adopting, explaining, “My husband and I had three biological kids so we started foster care in like 2017 and we adopted two little guys from foster care. And then we had a surprise pregnancy. We did not get pregnant that entire time between our third and adopting the boys. Then, when our littlest foster baby was three months old, I found out I was pregnant. God has a sense of humor.”

The shopping day is part of a broader mission that Lobell and her family have embraced. They named their ministry “For the One,” aiming to support not only foster and adoptive families but also to recruit new foster parents, especially within the church community.

“Livingston Parish has the highest number of kids in care, usually consistently in our state, and just the lowest number of actual foster homes,” she noted, emphasizing the pressing need for more foster families in the area.

Lobell’s ministry, which also collaborates with other local organizations, provides everything from clothing and diapers to hygiene products, free of charge. This Saturday’s event is particularly special, with 110 children sponsored for Christmas and gifts ready to be distributed throughout the area. 

The ministry also offers resources to families working through DCFS preservation cases, helping parents who are working to regain custody of their children.

“If a family can be back together, that’s the best thing,” Lobell explained.

The event will also feature a festive experience with Santa available for photos and a kids’ area with crafts.

“I’m really, really excited about it. I feel like this is just such a privilege. I just really feel like, you know, this is where God has you, and it just all kind of falls into place.”

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