BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Established in 1981, Lifeline Children’s Services works with vulnerable children and women in crisis pregnancy situations as a full-scale adoption and orphan care ministry. In August the Birmingham-based ministry will host its 4th Annual R(un) for One 5K to raise money for (Un)Adopted, its international arm.
“Lifeline Children’s services is a ministry, and our mission is to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children,” the ministry’s development director Krisha Yanko told Yellowhammer. “That is done locally here though domestic adoption and care, and internationally through international adoption. (Un)Adopted is our international orphan care ministry.”
Beginning in 1981, Lifeline Children’s Services worked with women in crisis pregnancy situations to “help women make a choice for life,” Yanko said, which often led to facilitating adoptions. Seeing a greater need across the globe, the non-profit started international adoptions in 1999.
“While we were helping to facilitate international adoptions of children into Christian families, there are millions more children that will never be adopted,” said Yanko. “A lot of times the country will not facilitate adoptions, or maybe the children are older than the age being able to be adopted.”
So Lifeline Children’s Services began (Un)Adopted. “How can we care for children that will never be adopted, but are still orphans or in vulnerable situations?” Yanko Asked. “They still need to be equipped with life skills and how to get a job, but also we want them to hear about who Christ is.
“Our main mission is that they would know that there is hope beyond the circumstances of the world, and that it’s found in Christ.”
For the last two years, Gibson Culver has been one of the race’s smallest runners.
“We found out about the 5K, and as a group a lot of us from the Birmingham Community Church ran,” Gibson’s mother Wendi told Yellowhammer Monday morning. “Gibson was only three at the time, that was his first run he’d ever done.”
Gibson’s parents, his father Chris Culver is the pastor at Birmingham Community Church, always bring several members of their congregation along for the run.
“It’s a great run, and we enjoy the 5K, but also we love the purpose.”
Because all of the funds for (Un)Adopted are raised through donations and fundraisers, the organization began hosting the 5K in several locations. This year it will be run in Birmingham, Atlanta, Louisville, and Raleigh-Durham.
Those who would like still like to donate to the (Un)Adopted R(un) for One but can’t make it to the race on Saturday, August 22nd can also participate at home through the “Run Where You Are” element. For $20 you will still receive a R(un) for One t-shirt you can wear while you run at home.
