Foster families weren't meant to do this alone.
More Than Enough exists to make sure they don't have to. Through local churches and trained volunteers, we surround foster, adoptive, and kinship families in Cherokee County with the practical support and lasting relationships they need to thrive.
Why More Than Enough Exists
The system places a child. The community keeps them safe.
When a child enters foster care, the paperwork gets handled. The system moves. But what happens after — the sleepless nights, the unexpected needs, the weight that accumulates on families doing something hard and holy — that's where the gaps show up.
Foster, adoptive, and kinship families in Cherokee County are showing up for some of the most vulnerable children in our community. What they often lack isn't love or commitment. It's a team around them.
More Than Enough exists to be that team — mobilizing local churches to provide the practical support, relational care, and long-term presence that makes a family's "yes" to a child sustainable.
How It Works
The local church is the vehicle. Garden58 is the engine.
More Than Enough works through a model developed by Promise 686 — a national organization that equips local communities to care for children and families in the foster care system. Garden58 serves as the local Implementing Partner, bringing that model to Cherokee County and beyond.
Here's how a church moves from awareness to action:
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Garden58 helps churches understand the need — through Lunch & Learns, speaking events, and community conversations.
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Churches identify their role and build a Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) — a structured, sustainable way to support vulnerable families.
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Trained Advocates lead Care Community teams that walk alongside a family for at least a year — with meals, childcare, transportation, encouragement, and more.
Each Care Community is made up of 4–8 trained volunteers committed to walking alongside one family for at least a year — not just in a crisis, but consistently, week after week.
More Than Enough Serves
Anyone caring for a child who needs a village.
More Than Enough supports:
Foster families navigating the demands of temporary or long-term placement
Adoptive families building new bonds and working through complex histories
Kinship caregivers — grandparents, aunts, uncles — who stepped in when a child needed family
Biological families in crisis who need support to stay together
Families are referred through the Department of Social Services or connected through a local church. More Than Enough currently serves five families in Cherokee County, with plans to expand into Clay County as partnerships and capacity grow.
For Churches
Your congregation is already equipped to do this.
You don't have to become a foster family to support one. The local church has exactly what vulnerable families need — people, consistency, and the willingness to step in and serve. More Than Enough gives your church a clear, supported path to do that well.
Currently, several Cherokee County churches are actively involved:
Red Oak & Mountain View — active Care Community Teams with trained Advocates walking alongside families right now
Calvary Chapel, Shepherd of the Mountain, Little Brasstown Baptist — participating in service projects, supply drives, and awareness initiatives throughout the year
If your church wants to explore what a Family Advocacy Ministry could look like, we'd love to start that conversation.
How We Engage Year-Round
Support that doesn't stop when the calendar turns.
Care Communities provide ongoing support week to week — but More Than Enough also engages the broader community through seasonal moments that anyone can join:
May — Foster Care Awareness Month: speaking engagements, awareness campaigns, and supporting the Miles That Matter 5K (organized by Cherokee County DSS)
August — Back-to-School: supply drives and resources to help children in foster care start the year strong
October Event: “We See You” as we seek to show caseworkers and child welfare staff that they are seen, valued, and appreciated.
December — Cherokee County DSS Christmas Tree Program: churches and community members come together to support local children and families during the holidays
Get Involved
There's a role for where you are.
You don't have to lead a church or have foster care experience to serve with More Than Enough. There's a place for wherever you're starting from.
All volunteers working directly with children are required to complete a DSS background check. Training is provided — no prior experience necessary.
More Than Enough is currently seeking:
Participating Churches — Churches that desire to establish a Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) to serve vulnerable children and families. The church-owned FAM is the foundation from which other outreach efforts, including Care Communities, are formed.
Church Advocates — people who can champion this mission within their congregation
Focus Team members (3–4 people) — to help guide the growth and expansion of the program
4 Care Team Roles
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4-hour training
Ongoing commitment — leads FAM in your church
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2-hour training
1-year commitment to a family
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2-hour + 1-hour additional training
1-year commitment; coordinates team
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A heart for vulnerable children
Completion of the FAM Basics and FAM Care Community online clinics.
Implementer Staff Orientation hosted by Promise 686
For Families Seeking Support
You don't have to carry this alone either.
If you're a foster, adoptive, or kinship family in Cherokee County and could use a team around you, we'd love to connect you with a Care Community. Reach out directly or ask your DSS caseworker about a referral.
Support This Program
Help us surround more families.
More Than Enough is growing — and sustaining that growth takes resources. Here's what your support makes possible:
$2,000/year — covers Garden58's annual partnership fee with Promise 686, keeping the program framework and training available locally
$50–$100/month per church — Garden58 currently absorbs the Promise 686 platform fee for participating churches so cost is never a barrier to getting involved
Up to $500/year per church — available as reimbursement to offset costs churches incur when directly supporting a foster family
Tangible giving opportunities also arise throughout the year — back-to-school supplies, field trip support, holiday drives. Follow Garden58 on Facebook and Instagram to stay connected to those needs.
Our Partnership
Built on a proven national model.
Garden58 serves as a local Implementing Partner with Promise 686, a national organization that trains and equips communities to build Family Advocacy Ministries in local churches. The partnership began through a connection with Cherokee County DSS, and has allowed Garden58 to bring world-class training and support structures to a small mountain community.
To learn more about the Promise 686 model, visit promise686.org.