A Calling to Serve

“There are more than 150 children in foster care in Cullman County and with an additional 150 in kinship care.”
— Cullman County DHR, March 2025
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Gathering for Resource, Retreat and Education

The Wilderness Lodge is a newly-formed, nonprofit ministry with a mission to be a retreat, education, and connection resource to children in foster care and their foster families.

Every child deserves a safe, loving environment where they can thrive, but foster children often face overwhelming challenges that leave them vulnerable and without a sense of stability. With fun and adventure as the attraction — and yes, sometimes even the great outdoors — our goal is to empower foster care community to help children rise above their circumstances and step into a brighter future.

However, we don’t plan to stop there. A strong supportive community is only as strong as those in it, which is one reason we also wish to provide support services for foster parents and social workers who make great sacrifices to serve children in foster care.

The vision is to replace the brokeness of their past with a circle of healing and growth. Together, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, creating lasting change for this vulnerable group of children in our area.

Goals for Building Community

  • Foster children have a lot on their young minds as they navigate an uncertain time in their lives. We strive to support foster children through the following:

    • Time with peers with similar backgrounds

    • Opportunities for fun

    • Building strong relationships with adult mentors and others

  • Being a foster parent is no easy task. Foster parents work hard to provide a sense of love and belonging to children in care during a pivotal time in their lives. We strive to support their willingness to serve through the following:

    • Continuing education (CE) opportunities for foster parents

    • Nights out for parents/kids

    • Centralized support services

    • Strong support system

    • Providing support physical needs (clothes, back to school supplies, birthday gifts etc)

    • New-to-care bags for new placements

  • Social workers spend long hours making weighty decisions in the midst of difficult circumstances where abuse, abandonment and neglect have taken place. We strive to support them through the following:

    • Training

    • Appreciation

    • And More

Contact us

Interested in getting involved? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We look forward to hearing from you!