Sissy, Marshall Carson launch Anchor Discipleship Program

Published 9:02 am Saturday, July 8, 2023

More than 23,000 children age out of the U.S. foster care system every year. Some become homeless. Some are incarcerated. Only one out of two will find gainful employment and less than three percent will have the opportunity to earn a college degree, according to the National Foster Youth Institute.

Elizabeth “Sissy” Carson wants better outcomes for these youth. Her faith is a factor in this “desire of her heart” (Psalm 37:4), and it is her faith that has sustained her through many of life’s ups and downs.  She feels called to help others, has a heart for children and for God, pointing out  that James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

“To me, some (foster) children are, in their own way, orphans,” she said.

Carson fostered a child whom she adopted, and she worked 15 years at the Southwest Louisiana Law Center for Mark Judson on custody, adoption and cases that involved terminating the rights of parents.

When she and Marshall Carson married last year, on their honeymoon night they wrote down goals and a vision for their life together as a couple.

Both saw themselves as being instrumental in some type of  recovery/shelter program similar to what Marshall has completed, and now works as an intake coordinator for. This discipleship program is based on the Celebrate Recovery curriculum, a biblically balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing that deals with life’s hurts, hang-ups and habits.

A few months into their marriage, they attended a Celebrate Recovery Summit and Sissy met a woman there who had opened a home for girls who had aged out of the foster care program.

Marshall’s experience, Sissy’s experience, a lot of prayer and God’s plan have culminated in The Anchor Discipleship Program in DeQuincy, a new 13-bed, 12-month program for young men who have aged out of foster care.

“We want to provide a clean, safe and peaceful home environment for young men as they learn life skills,” Carson said. “They’ll learn how to save money, how to keep and balance a checkbook, and we’ll use the Celebrate Recovery curriculum. It’s not just for those struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. When parents lose custody because of abuse or neglect it can  leave the children to struggle with feelings of abandonment, anger, insecurities and other issues.

Carson hopes for funding that will  cover tuition at Sowela or through ABC Welding School.

“Our goal is to put them on a path to form their own spiritual relationship and make connections, maybe not with biological family, but with each other, maybe a church family and with God.”