Outstanding Partners Recognized at CarePortal Annual Gathering

Each year, members of our CarePortal staff and community partners come together at the CarePortal Leadership Intensive (CPLI) gathering. Leading up to this meeting, attendees are asked to submit their nominations of individuals, churches, and communities that are going above and beyond to serve children and families in crisis. Congratulations to the following 2021 award winners!

Church of the Year
2021 winner nominated by Domingo Mota, CarePortal Regional Manager in Southern California

The Church of the Year award recognizes the impact that a church has made in serving vulnerable children and families in their community through CarePortal. This church embraces Jesus’ commandment to love thy neighbor and engages their entire congregation to build relationships in the community.

“North Park Community Church in Los Angeles County, CA is “the ideal church” because they embrace a “whole church” response from top to bottom,” says Mota. “From leadership to laity, they have been tremendous partners and advocates for their community. Their spirit of humility, flexibility, generosity, and collaboration with other churches in their county is one that has greatly helped accelerate the cause. I can’t recall them ever saying no when presented with a need or an opportunity to fulfill a need. If it calls for creativity, extra phone calls, emails, or even transportation to help make a connection outside their area, they’ve been there. They have beautiful leadership that went through a painful season that called for increased accountability, empowerment, and transparency. Thus, their whole church approach embodies what CarePortal strives to be about.”

Congratulations North Park Community Church!

Community of the Year
2021 winner nominated by Chris Campbell, Executive Director of 111Project

 The Community of the Year award recognizes the impact of entire communities coming together to serve at-risk children and families through CarePortal. This is a community that embraces local ownership in meeting the needs of the vulnerable with diversity, consistency, and self-sufficiency.

“Cleveland County, OK is a large community that started with low response rates and low numbers of requests being met through CarePortal,” says Campbell. “This community made a commitment to fix this, and I have been so blessed to see this community come together and grow in an amazing way. They accomplished what they set out to do by forging relationships, setting up meetings, having tough conversations, engaging church partners, hosting awareness events, and more. Now, their churches are highly engaged, and in the past 12 months, 83% of CarePortal requests in Cleveland County have been met. The churches in Cleveland County embody everything we hope for in communities to lead the way so that progress is made in strengthening children, families, and communities.”

Congratulations Cleveland County, OK!

Ryan Benton Excellence in Connections
2021 winner nominated by Claudia Fletcher, Chief Program Officer at Patrick Henry Family Services

Ryan Benton was a dear friend of CarePortal who was uniquely gifted at making connections. As a pastor, a CarePortal Ambassador, coordinator, and point person at his church, he was an extremely influential part of launching CarePortal in Oklahoma. He was also a husband, father, and an example to all on how to live a life of service for others. He was the ultimate “connector.”

Ryan was tragically taken from us too early, but not so tragically reunited with his Father in Heaven. Each year, we honor his memory by acknowledging one person to receive the Ryan Benton Excellence in Connections award.

“Ray Moore has more connections than any person I know, and he has utilized every single one to build a hugely successful program in Roanoke, VA,” says Fletcher. “We have launched four municipalities in this region and have multiple churches engaged in CarePortal and making a huge impact. In the past 18 months, we have accomplished so much in his area, and it’s all because of Ray and his connections. Being a public-school teacher for 45 years allowed Ray to know almost everyone in his community. He’s either taught them, their kids, or their grandkids over the years. Ray and his wife are deeply involved in all aspects of the orphan care space; they’ve even adopted kids ranging in age from 6 to 40+. Ray is going strong at his age of 70+ and if anyone has been able to demonstrate an outstanding ability to make their connections count for this cause, it’s Ray Moore.”

Congratulations Ray Moore!

CarePortal Leadership Award

The CarePortal Leadership Award recognizes an individual who leads with courage and passion, is committed to excellence, builds engagement and trust, and serves the Kingdom with humility. 

Congratulations to Bishop Aaron Blake, founder and CEO of Harvest Family Life Ministries in Glenn Heights, TX, and Bishop W.C. Martin, pastor of Bennet Chapel in Possum Trot, TX.

Past Award Winners:

2020 Church of the Year: co-recipients Pulpit Rock and World Harvest

2020 Community of the Year: The Coastal Bend of Texas

2020 Ryan Benton Excellence in Connections: Renae Denbow

2020 CarePortal Leadership Award: Chris Campbell