As a parent, I know how important it is to be able to protect and provide love to your kids to the best of your ability. Sometimes life makes it nearly impossible, and that’s when we need others, often people we never knew before.

 Meet Daniel, Sara, and their adorable baby Thor. I met them a couple of weeks ago, on a bench outside of First Church. It was clear to me they were down on their luck. So I stopped to chat and offer them a prayer. When I finished praying, tears were streaming down Sara’s face, and Daniel was staring quietly into the distance. They proceeded to share their story with me. Daniel and Sara were on a trip to see the fall colors of New England, all the way from Idaho, in their minivan. What a great experience for little Thor. I remember when my two daughters were that age, and they would hold a big, colorful leaf in their tiny hands and stare in awe, as if it were the Hope Diamond. What a magical experience to share vibrant nature with their one-year-old angel. When the three of them arrived in Maine, things took a dark turn. While car camping, their money was stolen from their vehicle. Somehow, they made it to Northampton, MA, where I live. I can't imagine the stress they were under with a baby, your money stolen, trying to get help in a place you know no one.

 They called non-emergency dispatch to ask for help when they arrived in town. They advised them to stay in their van A family with a one-year-old living out of a van, with no money, in the cold because of unforeseeable circumstances. After two weeks of living in the van, the police called Child Services for help. Not the help they were looking for. CPS evaluated the situation and decided to take the family’s 1-year-old into protective custody. As the couple ping-ponged back and forth, telling me their heartbreak, I noticed Sara was wrapping a small toy. I asked what it was for, and they said it was Thor’s birthday. So their child was with strangers on his very first birthday. I vividly remember both my daughter’s first birthday—a big cake, with half of it all over them, and a smile bigger than the cake. Sara and Daniel for their child’s birthday? No cake. Just a short visit to the police station under supervision.

Today, they see their child, Thor, for brief visits several times a week. I remember when my oldest was in the NICU as a preemie with all kinds of wires and tubes coming out of her, just holding on to life. We visited her in little moments when they let us. I was praying for the day to bring her home and change her messy diaper a million times over without machines and nurses all around me. So I know Daniel and Sara want that stinky, dirty, beautiful alone time again and with their baby, too. No police. No police station. No DCF looking over them. Just Daniel, Sara, and Thor the way it should be.

 Well, maybe you could help. Daniel needs work, and they need a home until that can happen. The problem is that DCF will not release Thor until they have a house, and the family shelters will not let them in without their baby—a catch-22. Furthermore, with the robbery, they have no ID. No ID. No job. Sara should receive her ID in a few weeks, and Daniel will have to wait longer because he needs a Social Security card and a birth certificate, which he does not currently have. I don’t either. But they need work now. I’m raising money to help them get their child back as soon as possible. Any help is appreciated.