Greg Bayens and Lucy Edwards are an amazing foster care couple. Lucy, 59, and Greg, 67, are foster parents for NVFS’ Therapeutic Respite Care Program. One weekend a month for the last nine months, this couple has opened their home to a young special needs child so the child’s elderly grandmother can have a much-needed respite.

Greg and Lucy became foster parents because they realized that the success of our country’s future lies in the hands of our youth and wanted to do their part to help youth get the care and support they need to succeed. The benefits of their support are twofold: They expose this child to new learning experiences in a caring environment and give the grandmother an opportunity to restore her energy so that she can continue to give him the type of nurturing that a special needs child requires. The couple firmly believes that they have an obligation to volunteer saying, “Those who are fortunate should give back to society.”

Both Greg and Lucy have a love of outdoors including hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. They even met in a local backpacking club. Their love of the outdoors has served as a way of bonding with their foster child. They go on walks, bike rides, even play in a tree house! While both agree that special foster care is not for the faint of heart, the feeling they get knowing that they are making a difference in one child’s life is well worth it. They love being foster parents and look forward to seeing their foster child’s smiling face every month.

Taking in someone else’s child and treating them as your own is admirable. Taking in a child that has special needs is, well, it’s special. For this we salute Greg and Lucy for being a shining example of what volunteerism is all about.