Some Good People Needed [PHIL-OSOPHY]

A hero is an ordinary person who does an extraordinary thing.

I know there are some amazing people reading this who may be able to answer the call to be a hero to a child in need simply by opening your heart and home. Mentors come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Whether you're a family with kids, empty nesters or individuals interested in helping others, you can be a hero to the child you care for.

With the staggering numbers of children in foster care in our community, there's always a need for more foster and adoptive families. You might consider foster parenting, but fear the unknowns of it. The thoughts of "What if we get too attached?" or "What if the child goes back to a bad situation?" seem to steer people away foster parenting.

The Department of Children and Families will be holding a foster and adoptive parent informational session on Saturday, January 5 from 10 a.m. to noon at two locations: the New Bedford Public Library's Lawler Branch at 745 Rockdale Avenue, and at the Dunkin' Donuts located at 32 Howland Road in Fairhaven. Please call Lynn Mourao at (508) 910-1083 or Patricia Britland at (508) 910-1021 for more information about the event.

Our community's foster and adoptive care system needs good-hearted, responsible and reliable people to become foster parents. Is that you?

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.