At Crossnore Communities for Children, we know that supporting foster families requires more than just a place to live. It requires community, compassion, and, sometimes (read: oftentimes), a ready-made dinner.
A few years ago, we were fortunate to connect with Greta Argenta, a truly friendly and dedicated lady whose family had fostered and adopted two children through Crossnore. They knew firsthand the kind of support foster parents truly needed, and Greta was full of creative ideas to help. Unfortunately, our strict confidentiality policies often meant we had to turn down her initial, though much-appreciated, offers.
The Request for Dinner (and More!)
We decided to change that. We set up a meeting between Greta and our Community Foster Care Directors and asked them to share their most pressing, specific needs.
The first director didn’t hesitate: “We need chicken pies!”
To an outsider, it might have sounded odd, but Greta immediately understood. Foster parents often get calls to take in children with little to no warning. Sending a family home with a prepared dinner for that first, hectic night is a small gesture that provides so much help and relief.
Lovingly,, Greta recruited family, friends, and church members to make it happen! A few weeks later, she and her sweet family delivered a carload of homemade chicken pies to be stored in our freezer, ready for that first night.
From Chicken Pies to a Resource Center
The second director shared another critical need: Forsyth County needed a central location where Department of Social Services (DSS) workers could easily pick up essential items for children entering the foster care system. Social workers were often driving to other cities just to find things like diapers, car seats, suitcases, and clothing for all ages.
The director shared the need but never imagined what would come next.
About a year later, we heard about the Fostering Families Resource Center (FFRC). It began simply, with a conversation in October 2023 between two neighbors with a shared heart for foster care: Greta Argenta and Bill Ketner. Bill, a former Guardian ad Litem, knew the challenges, and Greta, of course, knew the need for Forsyth and surrounding counties. With the support from Love Out Loud, these two started a small nonprofit dedicated to providing wrap-around support to local social workers and children in the child welfare system.
A Powerful Partnership Takes Root
Their efforts were mighty, but their physical space was small.
At Crossnore, we recognized an incredible opportunity. We had recently expanded our Shoppes, which serves all our programs with similar needs, and had already begun trying to support DSS agencies and foster families in the area. We reached out to Greta and Bill and asked a simple question: “Would you like to partner with us?“
Combining our efforts has proven to be a definitive win-win.
We are incredibly proud and thankful to have our partners at the @Fostering Families Resource Center residing on our Winston campus. They share Crossnore’s core beliefs, dedicated efforts, and goals, ensuring that every child who comes through the foster care system, whether with a family or a social worker, receives the compassionate support they deserve.
The journey from a chicken pie request to a full-fledged partnership is a beautiful reminder that a single, simple act of kindness can create a lasting impact.
The best part? We’re just getting started!
