in this issue paying it forward - Saint Francis Community Services

SUMMER 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
4
Saint Francis and China
4
AYS Celebration
5
Breaking the Poverty Cycle
6
Foster Family of the Year
8
A True Champion
11 A Specialist for Children
12 Therapeutic Treatment
14 OKC Making a
Difference
15 Saint Francis Meets with
Presiding Bishop Curry
15 Poverty Simulation
16 Support KidzKamp
PAYING
IT FORWARD
Pg. 8
OUR MISSION
is to be an instrument of healing for children, youth, and
families in spirit, mind, and body, so they live responsibly
and productively with purpose and hope.
Saint Francis Community Services publishes the Hi-Lites newsletter four times a year.
To receive future copies of Hi-Lites, subscribe online at
st-francis.org/newsroom.aspx#publications.
All materials in this publication are the property of their authors and may not be reprinted
without the author’s written permission, unless otherwise indicated.
©2016 Saint Francis Community Services
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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Recently, I met JT Burnley, who
has spent the last 38 years riding
professional dressage throughout
Europe and the U.S., earning
numerous accolades in national and
international competitions. He’s also
an alumnus of Saint Francis Boys’
Home. JT arrived at Ellsworth, Kansas,
in the 1970s at the age of 15 after
a Louisiana judge sent him here to
protect him from his father’s physical
abuse. During his time here, JT
worked in the horse barn—feeding,
grooming, and riding the horses.
The Very Reverend,
Robert Nelson Smith
Dean, President, and CEO
In our cover story, JT says the
Equestrian Program was “the
strongest single influence of my life.”
It’s nice to know that Saint Francis
played some part in JT’s success. But I
suspect most of the credit belongs to
his own character and hard work.
During his visit to Saint Francis, his
first in nearly 40 years, JT was visibly
moved when I presented him with a
Members’ Medal, a silver medallion
with the image of Saint Francis of
Assisi that holds deep significance for
Boys’ Home alums. It was a special
moment for both of us.
In this issue, read JT’s story and learn
how our Equestrian Program—a
mainstay of Saint Francis for decades
—continues to help youth, just like it
did for him 40 years ago.
immigration specialist who helps
immigrant foster children obtain
legal permanent residency so they
can receive essential services.
Finally, I want to introduce you
to three new members of our
Leadership Team. The Rev. David
Hodges comes to Saint Francis
after serving Episcopal churches in
Alabama, Texas, and North Carolina.
Fr. David is our new vice president
and chief development officer. Tom
Blythe, our vice president of human
resources, recently served as system
vice president of human resources
at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan, Inc., a
healthcare system based in Centralia,
Illinois. And Diane Carver joins Saint
Francis after more than 20 years with
the Kansas Department for Children
and Families. She is vice president
of the Wichita region responsible
for foster care, reintegration, and
adoption programs.
This is an exciting time for Saint
Francis. I am happy to share our
good news with you. Each day, the
people of this ministry work to serve
the most vulnerable among us.
As our partner, you’re vital to that
effort. Thank you for your continued
prayers and support.
May God bless you always,
We also introduce you to Greg
and Amy Richardson, our 2015
Foster Family of the Year, who
care for special needs infants and
toddlers. Additionally you’ll meet
Maribel Panuco, Saint Francis’ own
www.st-francis.org |
3
SAINT FRANCIS AND CHINA
EXPLORING SOLUTIONS IN CHILD WELFARE TOGETHER
In May, Saint Francis Community
Services participated with the U.S.
Department of State’s Professional
Fellows Program for China and
Mongolia through the National
Committee on U.S.-China Relations’
International Exchange Program.
During her month-long fellowship,
Shuai Ping, a social worker from
China, toured Saint Francis
Community Services’ locations in
Wichita, Topeka, and Salina, Kansas.
As part of the international exchange
program, Saint Francis is sending
social worker Kay Cherryholmes,
MSW, to China in August to learn
more about its social work programs.
Kay received her bachelor’s degree
in social work from Wichita State
University and her Master of Social
Work from Newman University.
“When you know the person in the
story, it is a different story. It is far
more powerful. It is not your job;
it is your passion, your calling. This
program will allow me to become a
better social worker,” said Kay.
Shuai “Sunny” Ping noted that China
does not have a foster care system.
She will take what she learned
at Saint Francis and explore a foster
care model in Si Chuan Province
in China.
In the spirit of Saint Francis, this
program and its fellows seek
what Saint Francis taught—“to be
instruments of peace.”
Shuai “Sunny” Ping
and Kay Cherryholmes
WITH OPEN ARMS
CELEBRATING THE ADDITION OF AYS PROGRAMS
Saint Francis leadership and staff
gathered in Kansas City, Kansas,
in May to welcome employees of
Associated Youth Services (AYS) and
to join the community in celebrating
the merger that united the two
organizations on April 1, 2016.
Preceded by Eucharist at St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church, the reception
featured a catered meal and
refreshments in the parish hall.
Similar celebrations were also held
in Garden City and Wichita to
celebrate and recognize new
members of the Saint Francis family
in those communities.
AYS has provided a broad range of
child welfare programs in Kansas
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Fr. Bobby welcomes community members during the AYS celebration
City and parts of western Kansas
since 1972. The addition of AYS will
enable Saint Francis to enhance and
expand services to at-risk children
and youth throughout Kansas.
HELPING TO BREAK THE
POVERTY CYCLE
State and federal guidelines mandate
that no child be placed in out-ofhome care simply because his or
her family is poor. Yet, a significant
number of children in foster care
do come from families living near
or below the poverty line, which is
about $24,300* a year for a family of
four. Why is that?
Betty Rush, Saint Francis assistant
vice president of foster care
reintegration, estimates that about
90 percent of children referred
to out-of-home care qualify for
Medicaid services prior to referral.
“Some of those might qualify for
Medicaid due to disability, but most
would be based on income,” she
said. “So that tells me that poverty is
at least a contributing factor in outof-home referrals.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s
a causal factor, though. Rather,
stressors related to poverty can lead
to behaviors which in turn might
cause a child to be removed from
the home.
“When people lack sufficient money
for food, clothing, and shelter, life
is a constant struggle to provide for
basic needs,” said Rush. “Living in
survival mode so much of the time
creates a chronic stress
that’s exhausting.”
Much of that stress originates
from constantly having to navigate
work and child care. Often, people
working low-wage jobs can’t afford
daycare. Or, if they do have daycare,
paying for it takes most of their
paycheck. It’s also nearly impossible
to maintain employment without
reliable transportation. If the car
breaks down and a single mother
can’t afford repairs, then she has
no way to get to work. It’s a
relentless cycle.
“Drug and alcohol abuse tends to be
the primary factor contributing to
kids coming into out-of-home care,”
said Rush. “And with substance
abuse, there can be domestic
violence, abuse, and neglect. When
someone is abusing substances and
living crisis to crisis, they neglect a
lot of things. They neglect
themselves, their health, their
house, and their children.”
Ironically, removing children from
the home temporarily can give some
parents the breathing space they
need to get their lives on track.
search training, resources for social
services, and assist with securing
reliable transportation. Some
parents even use the opportunity
to seek higher education. Every bit
of help Saint Francis provides is
geared towards the ultimate goal
of returning children to a healthy,
stable, and safe family.
“Once they work through the
emotions involved in having their
kids removed, they begin to see
that we’re here to help and support
them,” said Rush. “If they rely on
us as a support network, they
might break the cycle of stress
poverty creates.”
*https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines
“Although they might initially feel
distraught and angry because their
children have been removed, they
no longer have the stressor of caring
for them. With their children safe in
out-of-home placement, they can
begin to move out of crisis mode.”
Saint Francis can then help a family
gain stability by providing substance
abuse treatment, family therapy, job
www.st-francis.org |
5
2015
FOSTER
FAMILY
OF THE
YEAR
GREG AND AMY
RICHARDSON
A SPECIAL CALLING FOR THE
YOUNGEST OF THEM
CLAY CENTER, KANSAS COUPLE PROVIDES SPECIAL CARE
“When I see
babies with fat
bellies and chubby
cheeks who were
struggling to thrive
just four months
before, it’s all
worth it.”
– Amy Richardson
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Ugandan orphans, little babies
abandoned at birth, gave Amy
Richardson the inspiration she
needed to become a foster parent to
infants and toddlers suffering from
severe medical conditions. It was
during a 2011 mission trip to the East
African country that Richardson and
her family visited an orphanage filled
with babies who had been left to die
because of a disability or other issue.
After that, Richardson, who had put
off fostering because she didn’t think
she had the patience to handle older
foster kids, realized she does have
what it takes to care for the youngest
of them.
Now, the nursery walls in their
Clay Center, Kansas, home are
filled with photos of 14 children,
each a temporary resident of the
Richardson home and each younger
than three years old.
“The longest we’ve had a child is a
year and a half,” she said. “I prefer
“So for the first month, I sat up all
night rocking a baby.”
So many people are against these
parents; they’re just bombarded.”
For many foster parents, knowledge
of the traumas foster children have
experienced can conjure emotions
difficult to handle. For some, it’s even
harder when those children
are infants.
“It’s really easy to get down on them
because in many cases they’ve
abused this child. But I have to
step back and think, ‘many of these
parents weren’t raised the way I
was; they just need to be taught
how to care for their child.’ I have to
constantly remind myself of that.”
“In my mind, I just have to separate
it,” said Amy. “That’s why it’s
important for me to work closely
with the birth families. Almost every
child I’ve kept has been able to
reintegrate back into their family,
and for me that’s huge. I need that
connection with those mommies and
daddies or else it’s not going to work.
Those babies will end up right back
in the foster care system.”
to keep just one at a time because
these babies have special needs
and I take them back and forth to
Children’s Mercy Hospital (Kansas
City, Missouri) quite a bit. Although
we’re licensed to keep newborn to
three years old, I feel my ministry is
especially for newborn to 1-year-olds
with medical problems.”
Those problems can include broken
bones, heart conditions, and shaken
baby syndrome. Many are in police
protective custody. Her husband
Greg is also licensed, and he and
their children - Bo, 18, and Paige,
16 - help as much as possible. Amy,
though, provides the bulk of the
care. Because of the severity of their
medical issues, the babies can’t go
to daycare, so she stays home with
them full-time—often caring for
them through the night.
“We had one infant with broken
bones who couldn’t lie down in the
crib because of the pain,” she said.
She works hard to nurture that
connection with birth parents,
sending them birthday and holiday
photos of their children and inviting
them to accompany her and their
child to doctor’s
appointments—if the
court permits. She
continues to serve
as a source of
support and advice
long after a child has
returned home.
In Amy’s mind, returning a healthy
child to a family that has healed is
the best possible outcome.
“That’s the reward,” she said, “seeing
the parents change and grow more
responsible and confident. And, of
course, seeing the babies change is
huge, too. When I see babies with fat
bellies and chubby cheeks who were
struggling to thrive just four months
before, it’s all worth it.”
“Many of these
parents don’t have
the family support
they need,” she said.
“They’re trapped in a
cycle that has gone
on for years, so when
the child leaves me,
if the parents are
agreeable, I tell them
they can call day or night if they get
stressed. I want them to make it;
that’s the only positive outcome I
can see. If I were to refuse to talk to
them, that would be just one more
negative thing thrown at them.
www.st-francis.org |
7
A TRUE CHAMPION
– PAYING IT FORWARD
THANK
YOU!
“I’m here to pay it
forward because
that’s what they
would want me to
do. I owe everything
to Saint Francis.”
–
JT Burnley
JT Burnley’s father once beat him so
badly, he broke JT’s arm. When the
vice principal at his south Louisiana
high school saw the 15-year-old’s
swollen, purple limb, he must have
made a call. Shortly afterward,
authorities picked up JT and placed
him in a juvenile detention center
where he spent the next two
months. It was 1975, and why JT
was put behind bars, rather than
Jim Burnley, is anybody’s guess.
Regardless, JT finally found himself
before a judge who said, “We have
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to remove you from your home for
“The first time I ever heard a grown
your own protection. We’re going
man call his father ‘Dad’ was when
to send you to Saint Francis Boys’
Cory took me out to meet his
Home in Ellsworth, Kansas.”
parents. My brother and I never
“I don’t think I got along well at first,”
said Burnley. “Saint Francis had a
very structured system that I didn’t
find appealing. But after a while, I
called our father ‘Dad.’ We called him
‘Jim.’ And to see Cory put his arm
around his father … without flinching
… well, I’d never seen that before.”
never left the gate. I was glued.”
From that point, Burnley immersed
himself in dressage, a formal and
highly skilled equestrian sport
defined by the International
Equestrian Federation (IEF) as “the
highest expression of horse training
where horse and rider are expected
started to like the structure. It was
Burnley turned 18 in 1978, which
to perform from memory a series of
dependable; you always knew when
meant he could no longer stay at
predetermined movements.”
to make your bed, when to go to
Saint Francis. He returned to south
chapel, when to eat breakfast, when
Louisiana to finish his senior year
to do your chores.”
of high school. Within a week of
Every boy had chores, and JT’s
first assignment landed him in the
kitchen, washing dishes. But it was
graduation, he left for college. One
week after that, his mother and
brother left Jim.
In 1979, Burnley’s trainer sent him
to Germany to develop his skills. He
told him, “Your hands are better than
mine, but your skill set is too crude.
I’m sending you abroad. Don’t ever
study with anyone who won’t be or
hasn’t been an Olympian.”
hot, loud, and steamy near the
dishwasher and he wanted to
Dressage is an expensive sport,
be outside. He’d been around
and Burnley was still a poor
horses most of his life and
college student. He worked
longed to work with the horses
feverishly to save money for
at Saint Francis. After three
three training trips to Europe
months in the kitchen, he
by cleaning stables, training
finally got his chance.
horses, even washing dishes in a
“The horse barn was the first
Mexican restaurant. On his first
thing at Saint Francis that felt
and second trips to Westphalia,
familiar to me,” he said.
Germany, he trained with the
legendary four-time Olympic gold
Long denied a positive male
role model, JT found two in Eric
To put himself through school,
Muehleisen and Keith Bailey,
Burnley got a job at a horse stable,
counselors and skilled horsemen
cleaning stalls and training horses
who were virtual opposites.
for Western-style riders. One
Reserved and conservative, Bailey
Saturday afternoon, running late
balanced Muehleisen’s wild side.
for a date, he stopped briefly at the
Together, the two taught young JT
barn. That’s when he saw something
much about horses and much about
that amazed him—a rider astride a
male friendship. He also met Cory
beautiful gray Lipizzaner that almost
Rathbun, a counselor just five years
seemed to be dancing.
his senior.
“I didn’t know it was possible for
During Ellsworth High School’s
a man to do that on a horse,” said
senior work week, Burnley wanted
Burnley. “I didn’t know what those
to do something with horses, so
maneuvers were called, but from
Rathbun got him a week working
that moment I knew horses would be
for his father, Ronnie, who owned a
part of the rest of my life. I didn’t go
local cattle operation.
on the date. I got out of my truck and
medalist Dr. Reiner Klimke. Another
year, Dr. Klimke sent him to
work with Master Trainer George
Wahl, who had ridden at the
Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
Through Wahl, he met and was
able to train with another
extraordinary rider and Olympic
medalist, Christine Stuckleberger, in
Kirchberg, Switzerland.
During his 38-year professional
career, Burnley has competed in the
United States, Germany, England,
France, and The Netherlands—at
every level, from Introductory to
Grand Prix Dressage. He has earned
numerous class and divisional wins
www.st-francis.org |
9
at national dressage competitions.
In 2008, he won a silver medal, and
a gold in 2010, at the International
Friesen Horse Show Association
(IFHSA) World Championship aboard
the stallion Sietze RV. He also earned
a gold at the 2008 IFHSA World
Championship aboard Pharro.
JT and his wife, veterinarian
Dr. Wren Burnley, own Wrenwood
Dressage in southwest Kentucky,
where he spends nine hours a
day riding, exhibiting horses, or
training horses and riders. In 2015,
Wrenwood Dressage had both the
Reserve Champion Hanoverian and
Westphalian Horses of the Year.
This year, they had the highest
qualifying “FEI 4-year-old horse” in
the United States.
He’s earned plenty of accolades,
but Burnley says he’s most proud
of lesser known achievements
—like those he’s seen teaching
dressage to persons with physical
disabilities. There is a woman with
multiple sclerosis who no longer
has symptoms after seven years of
riding, another with fibromyalgia
who now trains three days a week
pain-free, and an autistic boy who
speaks in complete sentences only
while sitting in the saddle.
“These are the successes that give
me the most peace and satisfaction,”
he said.
endanger those who brought me
“The equine program at Saint Francis
to the dance if I ever went back
was the strongest single influence of
while he was still alive. Now he can’t
my life,” said Burnley. “I credit Saint
do anything.”
Francis for that, as well as the ethics
So Burnley had a homecoming
of sorts. He reconnected with old
In April, Burnley returned to Saint
friends and mentors, including
Francis for a visit, his first in nearly
Ronnie Rathbun and his son Cory,
40 years.
who now serves as Saint Francis vice
“My father died about five years ago,
and I think I had to wait for his death
before I could return to Ellsworth. I
know it sounds strange to say, but
I always felt somehow that it would
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and morals I learned from Ronnie,
Cory, Eric, and Keith. I’m here to
pay it forward because that’s what
they would want me to do. I owe
everything to Saint Francis.”
president of foster care reintegration
Learn more about JT Burnley and
for the west region. He also visited
Wrenwood Dressage by visiting
the Psychiatric Residential Treatment
www.wrenwooddressage.com.
Facility, home to the Equestrian
Program’s nine horses.
NEW SPECIALIST FOR
VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Panuco. “Or they have arrived in
the U.S. without their parents and
have no legal caregiver, so they are
considered abandoned. We’re seeing
an influx of those cases as more
children flee the violence from their
home countries.”
Panuco is currently handling about
eight cases, juveniles ranging from
3 to 18 years old. Each case is
unique; each child has a story. Most
of the children have come from
Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
It’s a frightening situation for these
children since most of them speak
little or no English.
Maribel Panuco’s work usually starts
with a call from a foster care worker.
Since October, she’s been their
go-to person for complicated cases
involving immigrant children. Panuco
joined Saint Francis after spending
15 years with Catholic Charities.
Now she works with the Mission
Engagement team, serving as a
liaison between Saint Francis and
Immigration Services.
“I often have to ask them if they want
to go home because that’s one of the
options they have,” said Panuco.
“The majority—probably 90 percent
—say no. Living far away from people
they know, with a foster family that
may not speak Spanish or serve
familiar food, is still better than being
in their home country. That says a
lot. Their quality of life is still better
here than there.”
As Saint Francis’ immigration
specialist—a rarity among private
child welfare organizations—Panuco
works with social workers, legal
counsel, court systems, and others
to help children receive essential
services; including helping them
apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile
Status (SIJS). SIJS is a legal pathway
for vulnerable children without legal
immigration status to lawfully remain
in the United States.
Until immigrant children obtain
legal immigration status, they can’t
get a social security number and
working with a young child that has
no birth certificate makes Panuco’s
job challenging.
“These are children that have been
abused, abandoned, or neglected
by one or both parents,” said
Department of Justice Executive
Office for Immigration Review,
which allows her to directly
represent children in immigration
proceedings before immigration
courts and the Board of Immigration
Appeals on behalf of Saint Francis
Community Services.
The accreditation gives her the
authority to sign immigration
petitions and a stronger voice for
the children Saint Francis serves.
The opportunity to advocate for
immigrant children is why she
jumped at the chance to work at
Saint Francis and to join a ministry
dedicated to caring for and
protecting children.
“What Saint Francis is doing is huge,”
said Panuco. “This opportunity
to help vulnerable children in a
different capacity, to change the
lives of immigrant children, is what
drew me here. It’s my passion. I think
other child welfare organizations will
copy Saint Francis when they see the
value of having a position like mine.
Our social workers and case workers
now have the support they need for
these types of cases.”
“They can’t apply for a job or even
get a driver’s license when they turn
16,” said Panuco. “Setting them up in
independent living is much harder
for these kids until they get their
legal immigrant status.”
In May, Panuco received partial
accreditation from the U.S.
www.st-francis.org |
11
A TREMENDOUS
THERAPEUTIC IMPACT
Big, bossy, and stubborn, Carly’s
popularity among the kids puts her
near the top of the list of favorite
staff members at Saint Francis’
Psychiatric Residential Treatment
Facility near Salina. Despite her
formidable size, and occasional
surliness, young people feel at
ease in her presence. They love
her. One of nine horses there, the
paint mare and her fellow equines
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play an important role in helping
children with behavioral issues learn
empathy, responsibility, and respect
for other creatures.
“Horses have always been a part
of Saint Francis,” said Trish Bryant,
vice president of children and family
services. “Both Ellsworth and Salina
have always had horse programs
because it’s a tremendous treatment
tool for the kids.”
Back in the ‘80s, Bryant was a
clinician at the center. Up to
then, Saint Francis’ horses had
merely provided the kids with a
healthy, outdoor activity—one in
which the therapeutic benefits
were recognized, but considered
secondary. Bryant and her
colleagues at Ellsworth and Salina,
however, saw enormous therapeutic
potential with the horses. They
began using the care and riding of
horses as an actual supplement to
traditional therapy.
Now Saint Francis stands poised
to make equine-facilitated
psychotherapy (EFP) a full-fledged
part of the treatment toolbox
at Salina West. Sarah Fraser,
who manages the equestrian
program, has nearly completed her
certification with the Professional
Association of Therapeutic
Horsemanship International (PATH).
Once certified, she’ll be an equine
specialist in mental health qualified
to work alongside a clinician in real
therapy sessions with youth.
“This would be the first technically
therapeutic program Saint Francis
has done with horses,” said Fraser.
Fraser, who’s worked with horses
most of her life, says the animals are
uniquely adept at mirroring human
emotions. Their ability to read our
moods, body language, and facial
expressions makes them ideally
suited for working with children,
dealing with trauma, and other
mental health issues.
“They’re prey animals, so they
instinctually sense changes in the
environment,” said Fraser. “When
we have intense emotions, they can
sense it because they read our body
language better than we can. So
they’re going to react with feedback
that is immediate and honest.”
For instance, if a young person feels
anger when approaching a horse,
the animal may turn away, lay back
its ears, and avoid interacting. Or, if
a child is stressed, a horse can sense
the tension.
“If we were doing a therapeutic
session, I would say, ‘Okay, this is
what the horse is telling us,’ and the
therapist could then help the youth
explore his or her emotions and
process them. That processing can
release enough tension so that we
can approach the horse again. Now
the horse is willing to interact with
the youth.”
Though not yet technically a therapy,
the Equestrian Program is the
most popular activity at the center.
Fraser conducts classes five days
a week for groups of four or five
kids each. Every child at the facility
can participate, provided they are
in green status, meaning they have
good behavior.
“As long as they maintain green
status, they can keep coming,” said
Fraser. “I’ve heard several say they
try really hard to stay on green
because they want to keep coming to
the horses.”
As in the days of Saint Francis Boys’
Home, the youth still help feed and
groom the horses and clean their
stalls. They also learn how to handle
and communicate with the horses.
“The first day, we teach them safety
and grooming,” said Fraser. “Then
we show them how to halter the
horse and lead it around. Kids move
at different speeds. Some never go
beyond grooming; that’s just all they
want to do. Others can’t wait to
start riding.”
Right now, Saint Francis has the only
psychiatric residential treatment
facility in Kansas with an equestrian
program. Once Fraser receives
her EFP certification, Saint Francis
could eventually become a PATH–
accredited center, providing equine
therapy to youth from throughout
Kansas and the nation.
“The horses make such an impact
on these kids,” said Bryant. “They’re
struggling with life, but they get great
joy out of being with the horses. It
enhances everything we do here,
and that’s why Saint Francis has
always been so invested in the
equestrian program.”
“There are a lot of EFP programs on
the east and west coasts, but not as
many here in the central U.S.,” added
Fraser. “I think it could be as big as
Saint Francis wants it to be.”
SUPPORT
EQUESTRIAN
THERAPY
Each horse costs approximately
$5,000 per year for care and
maintenance. These expenses
include hay, feed, and
veterinarian and farrier fees.
Additionally, several horses need
new tack.
Your gift keeps our horses
healthy and our equestrian
program vibrant. It helps ensure
that Saint Francis’ horses will
continue to change children’s
lives in lasting, profound ways.
• $50 will buy a 2,000-lb bale
of hay
• $250 will buy a month’s
worth of feed
• $300 will provide for
veterinarian and farrier
services for one horse for
one year
• $2,500 will provide half of
the annual expenses for one
horse in the program
To make a gift, please visit:
www.st-francis.org/donate.
www.st-francis.org |
13
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
IN OKLAHOMA
From left: Saint Francis’ Kimberly Winston, Kali Parks, Denyse Scott,
award winners John Johnson and Holly Morris, Lane Freeman, Chris Gill,
and Luci Monares
In early 2015, shortly after joining
the Oklahoma City Black Chamber of
Commerce, Saint Francis Community
Services hosted a “Fresh Start”
breakfast for state legislators and
local community leaders. Organizer
Kimberly Winston hoped the event
would raise both awareness and
interest among attendees about the
urgent need for more foster homes
in Oklahoma. It worked. Actually, it
worked so well that one year later,
the Black Chamber of Commerce
named Saint Francis a “Non-Profit
Organization of the Year” at its
annual meeting and awards banquet.
That breakfast laid the foundation
for a deepening partnership with
the chamber that Winston hopes
will lead to the recruitment of more
African-American foster homes
in Oklahoma.
Soon after the breakfast, chamber
members asked Winston to join the
organization’s board of directors.
A foster care homes recruiter with
14
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Saint Francis, Winston used her
experience and expertise to build
new relationships within the AfricanAmerican community and
to encourage engagement with
Saint Francis’ ministry to children
and families.
“After taking a leadership role on
behalf of Saint Francis, we were
able to spearhead the creation of
new awards for organizations and
individuals making a difference in
their community through means
other than economic development,”
said Winston.
Those awards, the Saint Francis
Making a Difference Award for “foster
families who go above and beyond
to make a difference in the life of
a child”, and the Spirit Award for
“individuals or businesses that
demonstrate a spirit of caring and
willingness to help children in foster
care” were presented for the first
time at this year’s banquet. That
evening, the chamber also awarded
Kimberly Winston receives the
Board Member of the Year award
from Gayla Douglas.
the Board Member of the Year award
to Winston.
“We’re so proud of Kimberly and
the work she’s doing with the
Black Chamber of Commerce to
build collaborative relationships,”
said Chris Gill, executive director
for Saint Francis in Oklahoma.
“She’s strengthening Saint Francis’
connections to the community in
ways that will benefit the children
and families we serve for years
to come.”
2016 Making a Difference
Award winners:
John Johnson
Clay and Holly Morris
2016 Spirit Award
winners
Paul Littlejohn Jr.
The Marriott Renaissance
SHARING OUR STORY
SAINT FRANCIS LEADERS MEET WITH PRESIDING BISHOP
Fr. Bobby Smith and Fr. David Hodges
of individuals who are positively
recently traveled to New York City
impacted by our ministry.
to share Saint Francis’ story with
Seminary Dean and President The
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
During their stay, Fr. Bobby and Fr.
David were also able to share Saint
Francis’ mission of healing with others
at Trinity Church Wall Street and
General Theological Seminary.
Many of those in attendance,
along with Presiding Bishop Curry,
expressed gratitude for the work
Saint Francis does to protect, nurture,
and heal children. The audience was
astonished by the large number
Very Rev. Kurt H. Dunkle offered a
prayer for those who are served by
Saint Francis and for “those who
serve.” “May the children and families
they serve see in them the face of
Christ,” he said.
“I have said many times that all
of us at Saint Francis share in an
incarnational ministry, and I wanted
to make sure you know that others
believe this as well,” said Fr. Bobby.
From left: Fr. David Hodges, Presiding
Bishop Michael Curry, and Fr. Bobby
Smith in New York City.
GAINING AN UNDERSTANDING
SAINT FRANCIS PARTICIPATES IN POVERTY SIMULATION
Saint Francis youth services
worker Katrina Bogart joined
dozens of other participants in the
third annual poverty simulation
organized by Circles of the Heartland
and sponsored by Saint Francis
Community Services April 9th at
Kansas Wesleyan University in
Salina, Kansas.
The three-hour experience was
designed to help participants better
understand the realities faced by
people whose income falls below
the poverty line. Participants assume
the roles of members of low-income
families, from single parents trying
to care for their children to senior
citizens trying to maintain their
independence on Social Security.
During the simulation, Bogart
assumed the role of a worker in an
employment office helping other
participants find jobs.
“The poverty simulation was
an awesome and eye-opening
experience for me,” said Bogart.
“It’s hard to believe what families in
poverty all over the United States
struggle with day to day. Seeing the
stress it puts on people keeps me
motivated as I work to make a living
for my family of six. I will definitely
participate again.”
This was the second consecutive
year that Saint Francis was a sponsor
of the event.
www.st-francis.org |
15
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZ ATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
SALINA , KS
PERMIT #41
509 E. Elm Street
P.O. Box 1340
Salina, KS 67402-1340
At KidzKamp children in foster care
learn, play, swim, make friends,
and laugh. In short, they get to
be kids. Children in foster care
deal with a host of stressors,
and KidzKamp helps them forget
their worries for a while.
3 days of summer
fun for children
(8-12) in foster care
Webster Conference Center
Salina, Kansas
You can help, too!
Generous support from friends and
donors enables Saint Francis to
provide KidzKamp free of charge to
any child who wants to attend.
Your gift will add happiness to a
child’s life this summer.
Donate online at
www.st-francis.org/donate.
To learn more about KidzKamp
or to volunteer, contact Todd Hadnot
at todd.hadnot@st-francis.org.
st-francis.org | 1.800.423.1342