Home · Programs · Chicago · Safe Families for Children · News · Samantha's Story Safe Families provided one young mother with something she had never experienced: unconditional love. Her baby, Africa, had been born prematurely a month earlier and was about to be released from the hospital. The last thing Samantha wanted was to take her home, where her mother and brother were smoking crack and dealing drugs. In desperation, Samantha went to a local adoption agency. The adoption counselor, seeing Samantha’s commitment to Africa and desire to raise her, sent Samantha to us.

We matched Samantha with Safe Families volunteers Chad and Holly Kimball, who live on the south side with their two preschool daughters. They picked up Africa at the hospital and cared for her while Samantha continued looking for housing and employment.

During that time, Samantha spent two afternoons with Africa and the Kimballs. “Samantha said to me, ‘I didn’t know there were people in the world like you. I’ve never experienced love from anyone like this before,’” Holly recalled. “I told her that we were willing to sacrifice for her because Jesus sacrificed his life for us. She listened closely while I shared the gospel with her, and I could tell she was touched.”

A solution to Samantha’s problem came just five days later, when she found housing and enrolled in a work/study program at a local trade school. “I fell in love with Africa, and it was hard to say goodbye,” said Holly. “it was such a blessing to be part of God’s plan to keep this little family together.”