spotlight layout - Methodist Home for Children

Spotlight
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
mended
dreams
S P R I N G
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9
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O N T H E FA M I LY
Spotlight on the Family™
In This Issue
Published semiannually by the
Methodist Home for Children
Board of Directors
Barbara Allen
Wes Brown
David Brownlee
Bob Butler
Rick Clayton
Bill Creech
Don Curtis
Marion Edwards
Brian Gentle
Billy Griffin
Blanna Harriss
Lloyd Hackley
Jeanette Hyde
Lulu Jolliff
Sarah Jordan
Bill Laupus
Jimmy Locklear
Connie Maynard
David Miller
Mary Ann Minnick
Michael Morgan
Bruce Petteway
Merle Richey
Mike Safley
Demming Smith
Jane Smith
Bill Spencer
Bill Stewart
Mary Townes
Cissie Wellons
Bryce Younts
PA G E 2
OUR PEOPLE
Memories from Methodist Home for Children
Alumni. Planning is under way for our centennial
reunion. Our staff and Board continue to develop
plans for the Child and Family Enrichment Center.
PA G E 6
OUR SERVICES
The Methodist Home for Children opens a home for
youth with drug- and alcohol-related addictions.
Cindy Howery shares her inspiring success story.
PA G E 8
OUR SUPPORT
We prepare for a variety of centennial related
events. “A Winter’s Tale” is a wonderful success and
we thank and recognize those who continue to
support our important mission in a variety of ways.
PA G E 1 2
OUR PRODUCTS
With the introduction of our new logo, we also
introduce a variety of MHC merchandise. We hope
you will surround yourself with our new products.
OUR MISSION
To add or change your address on
our mailing list, to order reprints of
stories or additional copies of this
issue, call MHC’s Advancement
Office at 919.833.2834 or
toll free at 888.305.4321
For more information on our services
please visit our web site at
www.mhfc.org
In service to God, our mission is
to build upon the social, physical,
emotional, and spiritual strengths
of children, youth, and families
and to affirm their worth.
on the cover
Our centennial portrait
Mended Dreams, by artist
Lisette DeWinne, features five
children who represent different
eras in our 100 year history.
1
President Mike Safley and some of
the children who benefit from your
support of the Methodist Home for
Children.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
We Have Reason to Celebrate
Birthdays are important. We look forward every year to gathering relatives and friends to celebrate the day we were born. We
reminisce about what we have accomplished in life, reflect on
what gives us meaning and purpose, and look to the future. Some
of us stopped formal celebrations years ago for fear we might
burn down the house before the fire department could arrive to
put out all the candles.
We have a birthday to celebrate: This
year, the Methodist Home for Children is
100 years old! It’s a year to shout for joy
and to tell the story of all the lives of children, youth, and families who have been
touched by the Methodist Orphanage and
the Methodist Home for Children. MHC has
dedicated itself to salvaging, saving, challenging, encouraging, motivating, and healing. For this and many other reasons we
sing with enthusiasm, “Happy birthday,
Methodist Home For Children!”
Throughout our 100-year history, MHC
has kept a close watch over children, youth,
and families in order to meet their many
needs. I wish I could say the Methodist
Home for Children will not be needed in
the 21st century, but reality tells us otherwise. There is more need for services for
children, youth, and families than ever
before. We are blessed with a hardworking
board of directors and a dedicated staff, all
of whom help us clarify our focus so we
can best meet North Carolina’s challenging
and growing human service needs.
We have worked hard this year to position MHC to face the challenges of serving
children and families well into the next
century. By January of 2000, we intend to
operate in four regions in eastern North
Carolina, developing critically-needed services the communities have identified.
During the course of our centennial year
you will notice a new image—and a new
logo—designed to more clearly communicate our mission.
Pray for us during this year of administrative transition. When the new millennium begins, the Methodist Home for
Children will be touching hearts and mending dreams in many new areas. Any child
or family in need is a reason to keep on
working hard.
Please remember how much we need
your help to be successful. As we celebrate
our birthday, keep close to your heart
our mission to serve children, youth, and
families.
In service to God,
Michael Safley
MHC President/CEO
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
2 OUR PEOPLE
Fond Memories of the Blessing—and the Cursing
It was the somber opinion of the Rev. Albert Sydney Barnes,
superintendent of the Methodist Orphanage in Raleigh when I was
growing up there a half-century ago, that it was a constant touchand-go question as to whether we children could be saved from
the yawning jaws of eternal hell.
Given our inherent wickedness—especially we boys—it was clear that only hard
work, regimen, discipline, robust food, and
heavy doses of cod-liver oil and religion
had even the slightest chance of giving us
the strength to fend off the subtle snares
and inducements of a scheming Satan.
There were 300 of us young sinners
there, children of the great Depression,
nearly all with at least one parent dead,
who had been given over to the keep of the
Methodist Church. We needed constant
inoculation against our sinful proclivities,
and this was accomplished with daily
chapel, nightly prayers, Sunday school,
church, Sunday evening services, grace at
meals, and at least two summer weeks of
menacing nightly exhortations by visiting
revivalists.
The daily regimen was unvarying:
wake-up bell at 6:00 AM, breakfast at 6:30,
school at 7:00, chapel at 10:00, lunch at
12:00, school at 1:00 PM, sports practice at
4:30, dinner at 6:00, study hall at 7:30, to
bed at 9:30.
The hard work ingredient was performed before, during, and after these
other activities. The girls cooked, cleaned,
waited tables, did laundry, worked in the
infirmary, and took care of their dormitories and the administration building. The
boys raked leaves, hauled coal, stoked furnaces, scrubbed floors, cleaned toilets,
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
cleared trees, and worked a 200-acre track
farm that lay three miles out Caraleigh Road
abutting Carolina Pines Country Club.
We grew tomatoes, corn, cabbage,
beans, potatoes, and other vegetables, and
we milked 40 cows. The farm made the
orphanage mostly self-sufficient.
A classroom of attentive students
was a typical scene in Karl
Flemming’s day.
Being a “milk boy” on the farm was far
and away the most unpopular job in the
orphanage, much worse than plowing with
the profound non-cooperation of our nine
recalcitrant mules, digging up stumps,
trimming mosquito-ridden ditch banks,
plucking corn in the bitterness of winter,
raking and hauling wet leaves, hoeing
weeds all day in the corn fields, picking
beans in the blazing sun, or even butchering
and “dressing” hogs on cold winter days.
Beginning at age 14, everyone had to
take his two-year turn being a “milk boy.”
This job meant arising at 3:30 AM, riding in
the open back of a big Dodge truck—a bitter experience in winter—to the farm,
herding the cows through wet grass to the
fly-specked barn, washing their bags with
warm water, and milking them by hand.
This was repeated in the afternoon, every
day, holidays included, and it did not liberate one from other farm work.
And the worst part of this worst job—
even worse than being kicked and swatted
in the face with wet tails—was dealing with
the prodigious avalanche of manure which
these despised creatures produced. Cows
are arguably the stupidest of animals, even
dumber than chickens, but in our resentful
minds, they maliciously waited to relieve
themselves until they got into the barn.
Afterward, their immense issuances had to
be shoveled into a wheelbarrow and
hauled outside the barn to what grew and
grew into a sort of manure mountain until
late winter when it was hauled to the fields
and spread.
The custom for choosing from among
the milk boys who was to be saddled with
the unfortunate chore of “taking up crap”
ran back to a time before anyone remembered, perhaps back to when the orphanage was founded at the turn of the century.
This hateful job was simply rotated, one day
after another, among the eight milk boys.
Just when I had reached the milk-boy
age, we got a new farm boss, a Mr. Pierce.
He was a tall, rather prim, but well-meaning and decent Puritan who wore steel
rimmed spectacles. He spoke in a clipped,
high-pitched voice and had quite a combustible temper.
What set off his anger more than any
other malefaction was our use of profanity.
This was unfortunate for his daily serenity,
3
Karl Flemming (#33) participated in
sports at the Home. All children were
encouraged to be involved in a sport.
for “cussing” was as universal a
habit—and almost an art form in its imaginative sweep—among us tough, swaggering boys as was that other illicit badge of
manhood, smoking cigarettes.
Shocked by the extensiveness of our
profane vocabularies and our jubilant use
of them, Mr. Pierce became almost
apoplectic with righteous rage. His jaw
tightened, his face turned red, his eyes
flashed, and he would yell, “All right you
boys, cut it out!”
Cursing was obviously, in Mr. Pierce’s
gloomy view, one of those sins that set
you, perhaps irretrievably, on the slippery
downward slope toward the fiery furnaces
of hell.
His angry warning, to his chagrin, had
absolutely no effect on our raw language.
So one day, at rope’s end, he said, “All right,
the next boy I catch cussing will have to
take up crap for a week.”
This was a threat, to be sure, with teeth
in it. But a habit so proudly practiced and
so deeply ingrained was not easily broken,
and within 24 hours, I was caught redhanded, tried, found guilty, and sentenced
on the spot. Which provoked a whoop of
laughter from my indicted co-conspirators.
They gathered in the barn and kidded
me unmercifully as I loaded and reloaded
the noxious wheelbarrow. As the hateful
day went by, however, I bore my sentence
with stoic heroism, and was near its end,
ready for parole, when Mr. Pierce caught
me again. And the next week he caught me
again. And then again. And again.
This dirty cycle continued unbroken, in fact, for 17 weeks, by
which time I had rebelled inside, like Paul
Newman in “Hud,” and had begun to wear
my sentence with defiant pride. And in the
eyes of my fellows, I became a hero.
How many wheelbarrow loads, how
many tons I hauled from this Stygian stable
I do not know. But as the manure mountain grew outside the barn door, in my
rebellious and un-redemptive criminal
brain it became an encrusted monument
to noble boys everywhere who were
oppressed by joyless and narrow-minded
grown-ups.
During Karl’s tenure at the
Orphanage, the Main Building was
the dominating feature of campus.
For his part, Mr. Pierce was by and by
a beaten man. He finally just gave up and
without saying a word went back to the
rotation system. From thence forward, he
just looked at me with a mixture of pity
and disgust. The sheer magnitude and
incurability of my criminality was obviously too far beyond his knowledge of crime
and punishment. And he surrendered me
to my fate.
To what I am sure was his astonishment, I left the orphanage, escaped my
criminal tendencies and went on to have a
successful career as a journalist for
Newsweek magazine and CBS News, and to
help raise four fine sons. I am sorry to say—
for it is not an attractive habit in an adult
or a child—that though I eventually gave
up my smoking, I still use “bad” language.
Looking back, though, as I prepare to
return to Raleigh for the annual Easter
reunion of the orphanage, I see a remarkable and perhaps unparalleled record of
producing good citizens. Of all the hundreds and hundreds of boys and girls who
were raised in the strict, hard-working confines of the Methodist church’s rules and
the orphanage’s code of ethics, I have
heard of only one who ever went to prison.
Except for him, poor fellow, the orphanage’s graduates all left and became useful,
contributing, law-abiding members of society—all proud of the way they grew up.
In today’s allegedly more sophisticated
and sensitive world, bureaucratic restrictions likely would prevent an institution
from functioning like the Methodist
Orphanage did when I was growing up.
And that’s a pity, because it was a system
that worked. It did what it set out to do:
provide a healthy, stable home for homeless children, and train them to be good
citizens and good people.
Karl Flemming is a former correspondent for Newsweek and CBS. This article
is reprinted from the News & Observer.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
4 OUR PEOPLE
“I consider it a blessing
Alumni Lynn Corson looks back
on life at the Methodist Home
“My two sisters, brother, mother and I moved here from
Canada,” says Lynn Corson, recalling the challenges of her early
home life. “My mother did not speak English. It must have been
very hard for her, and for our betterment the Methodist Home for
Children took us in.”
Lynn Corson (center) learned
lessons at the Methodist
Home that are still a part of
her and her family’s life.
So began a new life for Lynn—one that
would take her from kindergarten to the
twelfth grade, through adjustments, new
faces and places, and challenging responsibilities. She would see her siblings and
never live with them. She would see her
mother only during visits and on holidays.
Slowly, Lynn would learn to make the most
of her situation. She would grow up.
“Seeing my sisters and brother but not
being able to live with them and be around
them all the time was an incredible challenge,” she says. “I was the baby and all I
wanted, in a world that was new around
me, was to be with the ones I loved and
trusted.”
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
One of her favorite—and
painful—memories is of playing
with her two sisters at the pool.
They held her, tossed her back
and forth, and surrounded her
with love. Then the time would
invariably come: they were
sent to their separate cottages.
“I remember the heartache as
I was pulled from their arms,” she says.
“Sometimes I thought it would have been
better not to see my family at all than to go
through that separation all over again. It
was very tough.”
During Lynn’s early years at MHC, the
organization underwent a period in which
cottages and Teaching-Parents were used
to create more of a family-like environment. Residents took their meals in the
individual cottages instead of the main
cafeteria as the focus shifted away from the
institutional settings of the past. “There
was a lot of change in the home,” she says.
“Several Teaching-Parents came and went.
Kids would come and go, too. People
flowed in and out of my life all the time.”
to have spent time within
the Home’s embrace.”
Lynn Corson
Faced with these challenges and shifting sands, Lynn found stability in Juanita
Clemmons, a Teaching-Parent. “She practiced commitment,” Lynn says. “She genuinely cared about us kids and it showed in
all that she did. She was the first person at
the Home I saw that in. Because of her sacrifice and love I started being able to learn
and to appreciate my surroundings a little
more. She was, and still is, very special to
me. We keep in touch today and treasure
our friendship.”
Lynn’s early teen years brought their
own challenges. She was embarrassed to
get on the school bus, feeling all eyes upon
her. “I was a ‘Home kid’ and no matter how
hard I tried to fit in, things just didn’t seem
the same for me,” she says. She beat back
her insecurities as she took on new
responsibilities, such as grocery shopping
for her entire cottage. In the process, she
gained confidence, and learned time management skills that serve her well today.
Lynn values family above all else. “I will
fight like a tiger to ensure our unity and
relationships,” she says. “I put all that I am
into our time together.”
Lynn says she would not be the person
she is today without the care she received
at the Methodist Home for Children.
“Although it was not the childhood one
would wish for, I consider it a blessing to
have spent time within the home’s
embrace,” she says.
Lynn and her husband Steven live
in Ft. Worth, Texas, with their children,
Stephanie (10) and Ben (7). Lynn works
in out-patient rehabilitation as a
licensed physical therapist assistant.
5
Plans for Child and Family
Enrichment Center Progress
FOOD LION COMMUNITY WAY
The Methodist Home for Children is moving forward with the development of its new
Child and Family Enrichment Center. “This center has long been a dream for us,” says MHC
President Mike Safley. “We are committed to preventing problems and to providing early
intervention. The Center will serve as the cornerstone of MHC’s continued expansion into
the area of early childhood development.”
Located on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, the Center will feature extended hours, crisis and drop-in care, and after-school care. As an inclusive child care facility, the Center will
provide day care services for approximately 160 children from all walks of life. Special
attention will be given to children with unique economic, emotional, and physical needs.
Outreach will be one of the center’s major focus areas. In addition to direct care, the
center will serve as a resource and training facility for parents, child care workers, and others interested in the development and well-being of children. While receiving training and
support in the best practices for early childhood development care providers can observe
the provision of quality care directly.
The Center will also serve as the base for child care development teams, which will
work in partnership with local churches and communities to establish quality programs
and services for children across North Carolina.
For more information about the Center, contact MHC Child Care Consultant Margaret
Anne Biddle at 919.828.0345 or toll-free at 888.305.4321.
ilies by shopping your local Food Lion
DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN
Help support the Methodist Home for
Children’s work with children and famduring March 22–24.
Pick up a special shopping voucher
from MHC’s Advancement Office or
from any local United Methodist
Women’s group member. Present this
voucher at the register when you pay
and Food Lion will donate 5% of
your total bill to the Methodist Home
for Children. It’s easy and costs you
nothing more than your regular grocery
bill—and it’s for a great cause.
To receive a voucher or for more
information about this special program please call Jennifer Cooper at
919.833.2834 ext. 29.
Alumni To Celebrate Centennial Reunion
For alumni and former residents of the Methodist Orphanage/Methodist Home
for Children, remembering the past 100 years is about remembering their own
lives—the ways in which they were personally touched by this grand organization.
“The planning committee is finalizing plans for our Easter Reunion on April 2–4,
1999. As usual we will have lots of reminiscing, hugs and good stories to tell. We
hope to see everyone there,” says Billy Griffin, Alumni Association President.
Weekend activities include a golf tournament, tour of Raleigh, dinner and
dance, church service, and business meeting. A picnic and Easter egg hunt at the
Borden Building in Fletcher Park will cap off the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
For reservations or information, contact Billy Griffin at 919.362.6670.
A Special Call for Young Alumni
If you lived or worked at the Methodist Home for Children from
1960–1980, a special group of tables is being reserved for you and your fam-
his recurring
Fred Fletcher in
y.
the Easter Bunn
reunion role as
ily at the Alumni Reunion picnic on Sunday, April 4, 1999. Come join in the
fun, and fellowship. Your children and grandchildren can bring along their
Easter baskets for the annual Easter egg hunt.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
6 OUR SERVICES
Substance Abuse Program is Mending Dreams
Cindy Howery knows what it means to take each day one step
at a time. Her family and a support network of friends encourage
her. She has regained the ability to choose for herself a better life
to live. This was not always the case.
In the arms of the angel,
far away from here, from this
dark, cold hotel room and
the endlessness that you feel.
You are pulled from the
Cindy’s troubles began at the tender
age of 11 when she started drinking. At 15,
she dropped out of school, well on her way
to a life dependent on alcohol. After five
DWIs, many weekends in jail away from
her family, house arrest, treatment programs, and time served in prison, she hit
bottom. “I finally said, ‘God, I can’t do it. I
can’t take it any longer. I need help and I
lay all this down before you.’ That’s when
my journey to recovery began,” she says.
Today, Mike Herring, a MHC Substance
Abuse Specialist and counselor in the
Bridges Program, is part of Cindy’s support
team. “Mike has been a huge help in my
recovery,” Cindy says. “He blends guidance
and support with friendship. He once gave
me his card and told me to call him whenever I needed a ride, someone to talk to, or
anything at all. Having that card gave me a
sense of security and helped me establish
an entire list of people to be my support
network. Mike understands the confusion
of recovery, and because of that he is able
to help me understand too.”
Preparation and opportunity play critical roles in recovery. As Mike explains,
“substance-affected persons want the
opportunity to improve, but often lose
focus or give up when they fail to meet
their goals. So they must learn to set shortterm goals. With a daily discipline of preparation, they are ready and able to make the
most of opportunities which arise.”
Cindy learned how to set attainable
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
goals and how to handle the difficult situations in life. “When you are a recovering
alcoholic, your goal is to stay clean, but
that is not specific enough,” she says. “You
must force yourself to lay out objectives,
set parameters, and know your limits.”
For Cindy, the finish line is not as
important as the steps needed to get there.
“Mike has pushed me to look even closer at
the plans I have laid out,” she says. “I have
to focus on the now and not get caught up
in alcoholic dreams of tomorrow.”
So Cindy takes it one step—and one
day—at a time. She knows a slip could wipe
out years of hard work and determination.
“I have been sober for 21 months,” she says
proudly. “But if I make poor choices regarding alcohol, I can set myself back 19 years.
My decisions affect more than myself. I
have come too far and learned so much.”
She has learned that giving back is part
of her own recovery. Cindy sponsors others involved in recovery programs and
serves as part of their support network.
She supports her eldest daughter’s efforts
in working with an Alateen group in the
Goldsboro area, which helps young people
whose parents or other family members
abuse alcohol or other substances.
After earning her G.E.D, Cindy enrolled
in college. Now in her third semester, she
holds a 3.5 G.P.A. and has been awarded
full financial assistance for her undergraduate work. She is majoring in human services technology and plans to become a
wreckage of your silent
revelry, you’re in the arms
of the angel, may you find
some comfort here.
from “Arms of the Angel”
by Sarah McLachlan
substance abuse counselor in a rehabilitation treatment facility.
Cindy focuses on the positive. She
enjoys and appreciates the little things in
life. “The song Arms of the Angel serves as
a source of encouragement to me,” she
says. “I hear God speak to me through it
and I feel revived and safe. It’s my song.”
Cindy and her husband Darren live
in Goldsboro with their three daughters: Brooke, Meghan, and Emily.
The Bridges Program connects the
recovering addict with community
support, participation in self-help
groups and the development of skills
necessary to address problems
instead of turning to drugs and/or
alcohol to avoid them.
For more information on the Bridges
Program or any of our Substance
Abuse
Services
contact
Fleetwood at 919.735.3028.
Tom
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ATTENTION GOLFERS!
Put these dates on your calendar.
All proceeds from these events
benefit the Methodist Home for
Children.
May 24, 1999
2nd Annual Methodist Home
for Children Classic
Bradford Creek Golf Club
Greenville, NC
Sponsored by St. James United
Home for Substance-Affected
Youth Opens in March
Methodist Youth, Tarboro, NC
June 4, 1999
4th Annual Buffalo Open
Wildwood Green Golf Club
Responding to a growing crisis among
young people in and around Durham
County, the Methodist Home for Children
has adapted its Durham area residential
youth home to serve children confronting
drug- and alcohol-related addictions.
“The impact of substance abuse continues to erode the lives of our youth and families,” says Tom Fleetwood, MHC’s Director of
Substance Abuse Services. “We must find
“We want to bring this
residential style program into
the Durham area. There is
such a need for this type
of resource—currently the
Triangle area has none.”
Armeneous Dobson, Program Director
new resources and creative programs to give
our youth the opportunity to grow successfully into adulthood.”
Recent studies show a rise in substance
abuse in local schools and that a growing
number of incarcerated youth have substance issues. Services for these young people are difficult to identify, and residential
care is noticeably absent. According to the
North Carolina Alcohol and Drug Council,
Durham County needs a minimum of 50 residential beds for adolescent substance
abusers. Currently, the county has none.
Led by Program Director Armeneous
Dobson, the home will provide short-term
residential care for young males, ages 11–15,
with identified substance abuse issues.
MHC’s existing six-bed group home in
Durham will provide a family-like setting for
these youth while they are in care. The program will help the young people examine
their problems and encourage them to turn
their lives around and become involved in
creative, productive endeavors.
Churches and community organizations
will provide many activities for the residents.
The young men will be paired with positive
adult mentors, and will participate in drug
counseling and support groups, recreational
opportunities, restitution, and work experiences. Parents and other family members
will play an active role in the youth’s recovery plan and will work with staff to ensure
an after-care plan that will help the young
men sustain their successes beyond their
time in the youth home.
Raleigh, NC
Sponsored by Buffalo’s Café in
Raleigh, NC
November 11, 1999
3rd Annual Andy Kanas Memorial
Golf Tournament
Riverwood Golf Club, Clayton, NC
Sponsored by Methodist
Orphanage/Methodist Home for
Children Alumni Association.
Call MHC’s Advancement Office
at 919.833.2834 or toll-free at
888.305.4321 for details on each
of these exciting events.
Visit us on the Internet
If you would like to find
out more information about
services provided by the
Methodist Home for Children,
please visit our web site.
www.mhfc.org
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
8 OUR SUPPORT
CENTENNIAL SPONSOR
A special thanks to:
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
(In honor of Fred Fletcher)
Thank you to our other supporters:
Barbara and Luke Allen
Andy’s Pizza
Austin Foods
BB&T
Butler Clinical Recruitment
Sally and Bob Butler
Cable Frame House
Captive Air Systems
Carolina Builders
The Curtis Foundation
Delta Air Lines
The Embassy Suites
Ernst & Young
Fred Fletcher
Fred Smith Company
(In honor of Fred and Eudell Smith)
Gingiss Formalwear
Golden Corral
Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley
Becky Johnson
Sarah and Bob Jordan
Jordan Lumber Company
KPMG Peat Marwick
Long Memorial UMC (Nancy Cole)
Connie and James Maynard
Mutual Distributing Company
Mutual of America
Quail Ridge Books
Sarah Reeves
RPG Industries, Inc.
Rex Healthcare
Rich Products, Corp.
Wanda and Louis Safley
Members of Edenton Street UMC
Wachovia Bank of NC
Hope and Mike Ward
Wedge Capital Management, LLP
Cissie and Allen Wellons
Allen Weiss
Williams, Overman, Pierce &
Company, LLP
Witzleben & Associates
York Properties
Zubigraphics
1999 Special Olympics World Games
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
Celebrating 100 Years of Service
The Methodist Home for Children and
the thousands of alumni, volunteers, and
staff members who have been a part of this
enormous family over the past hundred
years have wonderful reasons to celebrate.
The huge tapestry of personal achievements, organizational milestones, and program advances gives us pause to reflect on
our rich heritage and cause to celebrate
our accomplishments.
A single celebration would not adequately recognize such a tremendous landmark. Methodist Home for Children plans a
year of activities, parties, and advancement
to mark this monumental anniversary.
The second annual black-tie event, “A
Winter's Tale,” held January 30, launched
the centennial. The fundraising gala offered
MHC supporters a chance to honor special
friends and dance the night away, while
raising $75,000. (See article on page 9.)
Decades of memories will fill hearts,
homes, hotels, and the MHC properties during the annual alumni reunion, scheduled
for Easter weekend (April 2–4). Among
other activities will be the well-loved Easter
egg hunt on the old Orphanage property.
Alumni and their families will come home
to share the love and hope of Methodist
Home for Children, see old friends, and
celebrate the future.
MHC will continue it’s celebration at the
Annual Meeting of the NC Conference of
the United Methodist Church on June 9–13,
1999. The five day event will be held at the
Cumberland County Civic & Convention
Center in Fayetteville. A special MHC program will highlight the Saturday, June 12
session as we reflect on our 100 years of
serving children, youth and families.
MHC will be an active, visible partner of
the biggest sporting event in the world this
year as a sponsor of the 1999 Special
Olympics World Games. On June 27, as part
of the Special Olympics activities, Methodist
Home for Children will host its biggest
birthday ever with a community birthday
celebration. Plan now to join the party!
Watch for details as summer approaches.
The centennial year will also mark a
new beginning for MHC, as we launch the
Child and Family Enrichment Center. The
center will address the critical needs of
children and families for quality, accessible childcare and support. (See article on
page 5.)
Celebrating the past helps propel us
into our second century. Building on tradition while remaining alert to the changing
needs of children and families, Methodist
Home for Children will continue to demonstrate leadership in the 21st century.
EAGLE RECERTIFICATION
MAKING A LASTING GIFT
The Methodist Home for Children
Having an updated will is a good
(MHC) has received its recertifica-
way to ensure that your wishes are
tion from the EAGLE Program. MHC
carried out after you are gone.
received the EAGLE designation for
Have you considered including
quality in Christian Health Care as
the work of MHC in your estate
outlined in the Association Program:
planning? Please contact MHC’s
Educational Assessment Guidelines
Advancement Office for more
and Leading Toward Excellence.
information. 919-833.2834.
9
A Warm Winter’s Tale
The unseasonably warm weather disappeared from memory during “A
Winter's Tale,” MHC's second annual
black-tie fundraising gala held on January
30. As 430 MHC friends and supporters
entered Cary's Embassy Suites Hotel ballroom, they were greeted by the haunting
beauty of a winter garden. There they
enjoyed exquisite food, an array of special
moments and recognition, and dancing to
a live band, The Headliners, late into the
winter night.
Emcee Charlie Gaddy, award-winning
journalist and long-time WRAL news
anchor, introduced dignitaries and honorees. Honorary Chairman, Dr. LeRoy T.
Walker, inspired everyone present as he
shared special moments from his life and
careers. Both gentlemen signed copies of
Mr. Gaddy's recent biography of Dr.
Walker, An Olympic Journey, and graciously donated the proceeds from the
evening's sales to the Methodist Home for
Children.
Guests responded enthusiastically as
the specially commissioned centennial
Honorary Chair, Dr. LeRoy T. Walker
presented a Guardian Angel award
to long-time supporter Fred Fletcher.
portrait, Mended Dreams, was unveiled.
The work, created by internationally recognized artist Lisette DeWinne, features five
children who represent different eras in
MHC's hundred-year history. The portrait
will hang in MHC's headquarters off
Glenwood Avenue. Limited edition prints—
signed and numbered by the artist—were a
hot commodity during “A Winter's Tale”
and all proceeds benefited MHC. A few
signed and numbered prints remain. (see
our merchandise on page 12.)
Several individuals and organizations
were inducted into the Guardian Angel
Society for their lifetime commitment to
Methodist Home for Children. Established
in 1997, the society recognizes those who
have demonstrated a significant commitment-through gifts of service and supportto meeting the diverse needs of MHC's children and families.
Each year, two individuals or groups
are designated as Honorary Guardian
Angels in recognition of their service and
commitment to children in their local communities, across North Carolina, our
nation, or in the world outside MHC's service area. This year, North Carolina
Governor and Mrs. James B. Hunt and a
program entitled Prison MATCH of North
Carolina received the distinction. Gov. and
Mrs. Hunt were honored for their lifetime
commitment to North Carolina's children,
particularly through their commitment to
early childhood development and K-12
education. Prison MATCH was recognized
for its groundbreaking family support work
with the children of women in prison.
“A Winter's Tale” was a delightful
evening for all. Many thanks to
Chairperson Becky Johnson and her diligent committee for their outstanding work
on this very special event.
MHC President Mike Safley presents
a Guardian Angel to Jeanne Rouse.
Jeanne accepted the award on
behalf of the NC Conference United
Methodist Women. She is currently
the president of the organization.
MHC Guardian Angel Society
This year's inductees are:
Fred Fletcher—Raleigh
Dr. Lee H. Sanders—Raleigh
Lisette DeWinne—California
Rev. Edward C. Elliott—Raleigh
L. Merritt Jones—Raleigh
Louise Peterson—Fayetteville
Nan Willis—Wanchese
Rev. Geraldine Dysart Ingram—Cary
Monk Family—Farmville
NC Conference
United Methodist Women
Felton Tilley—Raleigh
This year's honorary inductees are:
Governor and Mrs. James B. Hunt
Prison MATCH of North Carolina
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
10 O U R S U P P O R T
FAITH OF A CHILD
We receive support from all ages from
A Vision Becomes a Reality
across our Conference. At Marvin
UMC in Fayetteville, the children give
their pennies to the Methodist Home
for Children. “The children are so
excited when I call them down for
Children’s Time on Sunday morning.
They enjoy using their money like
adults, where it can do the most
good,” says Rev. Curtis Mull Jr., pastor
at Marvin UMC.
Last year Marvin UMC began their
Children for Children Ministry. The
kids learn that one penny may not be
able to do much, but several pennies
together can do a lot. “We hope that
this way when our children are adults
they will not forget the lessons they
learned while giving a penny to help
someone in need,” added Mull.
We thank Marvin UMC and their
young people in joining us to help
those in need. All of our support
together can, and will make a difference.
Pastor Curtis Mull with young
members of his congregation.
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
April Hicks, whose husband Wayne is
pastor of St. Joseph's United Methodist
Church in Fremont, had a vision. What she
envisioned was a mentor program that
would give young people a resource for
spiritual growth, opportunities to ask questions about faith, and a place in which to
develop positive relationships outside the
home. When she met Jim and Heather
Pronko, Teaching-Parents in the Fremont
Youth Home, her vision found a home. “I
went to visit Jim and Heather with some
Teaching parents, Jim and Heather chocolate chip cookies and fell in love with
Pronko, devote themselves to the them and the work they were doing,” she
says. “As a former middle school teacher, I
boys at the Fremont Youth Home.
have been around a lot of programs
designed to benefit youth which fall short of their goal. At the Methodist Home for Children,
kids have security, positive reinforcement, excellent role models, and opportunities to
learn from mistakes, all while being surrounded with love. I was excited to finally witness
a program I knew would work.”
April and Wayne shared the vision of a mentor program with the Pronkos, and a partnership was born-a partnership which Jim Pronko compares with a favorite sweater. “You
put it on and it just feels right,” he says.
“Heather and I had wanted to start a mentor program, but we weren't sure how to
get started. When St. Joseph's approached
us, we jumped at the chance to try it.”
The partnership has benefited not only
the young people of Fremont Youth Home,
but also the members of St. Joseph's. “When
you go beyond yourself and meet a need
out of love, you cannot measure the
blessing,” says Wayne. “Working with Jim,
Heather, and the boys has created a revival
here. Adults debate with one another over
who will pay for the youth when we have
fundraiser dinners!”
Wayne Hicks, Pastor of St. Joseph’s
“The boys see the benefits of being United Methodist Church in Fremont,
served and of serving others,” Heather says. and his wife April.
“They want to go to church every time they
have an opportunity. They carry a sense of appreciation and pride in finding ways to help
those who have helped them. The mentor program is laying groundwork that will benefit
these young people for a lifetime.”
11
Pine Valley UMC and MHC Join Forces
Imagine Wilmington in your mind's
eye: sand, surf, salt air, and gentle breezes
fill your thoughts. Now you can add a newand equally satisfying-image: a partnership
between Methodist Home for Children and
Pine Valley United Methodist Church.
Pine Valley and MHC have united to
help children, youth, and families in and
around Wilmington. Pine Valley's support
is nothing short of inspirational, according
to MHC Foster Care Consultant Ranette
Fischer, who helps coordinate efforts with
Pine Valley. “The people at Pine Valley UMC
go above and beyond the call of duty,” she
says. “They treat our kids with compassion
and affirm their worth and dignity."
Pine Valley UMC has supported MHC in
many ways. For example, as the number of
children needing gifts at the Foster Care
Christmas parties has increased each year,
so has Pine Valley's giving. In fact, Ranette
says she had the happy task of adding more
names to the church's angel tree last year:
Pine Valley ran out of names within the
first week and called to find more children
who needed gifts. Church volunteers also
made time to wrap more than 150 presents
for last year's Christmas party. This year,
Pine Valley will host the Christmas party,
including food, facilities, gifts and all.
The church's giving doesn't end at
Christmas. Pine Valley provided Bibles to
all the young people in care in the
Wilmington area. During the summer, the
church opens its doors for youth to play
basketball and enjoy pizza. Some MHC
youth even play on the church's softball
and basketball teams. And not only do they
invite MHC to use their facilities for foster
parent training, they also help provide
child care during the training.
The relationship between MHC and
Pine Valley cuts both ways. Kristen
Bednarczyk, Pine Valley's director of children's ministries, recalls coming up short
on child care volunteers just days before
an adult workshop at the church. “We
Kristin Bednarczyk (left) and Jeanne
Scott (right) are an inportant part of
the Pine Valley and MHC team.
called Ranette Fischer, and within 24 hours,
she had rounded up 17 volunteers,” she says.
“Some came from as far away as Raleigh.
She was our guardian angel that day.”
The church's director of ministries
agrees. “Methodist Home for Children is so
humble in asking for support. It is our pleasure to help out,” Jeanne Scott says. “They
always thank us and show appreciation for
our assistance. We know it can be very
challenging to work with children. We
want to do whatever we can to help the
staff best serve their young clients.”
SCOUT’S HONOR
DOUBLE OR TRIPLE YOUR GIFTS
Scott Butson, a fifteen year old Eagle
Do you or a member of your family
Scout, planned and directed a twelve
work for a company that has a match-
hour tennis tournament marathon to
ing gifts program for its employees? If
benefit the Methodist Home for
so, your donations to the Methodist
Children. The tournament was played
Home for Children could be matched
on the court Scott resurfaced for his
one to one, two to one, or in some
Eagle Project. The August event took
cases, three to one by your employer.
place in Conway, NC and raised over
Ask your company’s human resources
$350. We salute Scott and troop 125
or community relations representatives
for their time and energy.
about matching gifts.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
12 O U R P R O D U C T S
Show Your Support for the
Methodist Home for Children
Be checking our web-site for new products that will allow you to show
your support of the Methodist Home for Children (www.mhfc.org). Please
call Bryan Harris at 919.833.2834 if you have any questions about our
merchandise or the ordering process. Allow 4–6 weeks for delivery.
Commemorate MHC’s 100 years
of service with your own copy
of our Centennial Portrait,
“Mended Dreams” by artist
Lisette DeWinne. Each is signed
and numbered by the artist.
Wrap up and stay warm with a sturdy MHC
sweatshirt. Durable polyester cotton blend.
Available in ash gray with screen-printed
color logo on chest and back. Sizes M–XXL.
Sweatshirt $20.00
Mended Dreams Print $100.00
Titled “Jesus Loves Me,” this
compellation by David Witt, organist
at Edenton Street UMC, captures
all things bright and beautiful. 60
minutes of instrumental arrangements
for children and adults.
Compact Disc $16.00
Tape $12.00
Great around the clubhouse or your
own house. 100% cotton Cross Creek Polo
in white with color logo embroidered
on chest. Sizes M–XXL.
Polo Shirt $25.00
Show your true colors
and support for MHC
with these 100% preshrunk
cotton tees. Available in
purple or burgundy with
white logo screen-printed on
chest and back. Sizes M–XXL.
Color T-shirt $12.00
METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN
13
TO PLACE YOUR ORDER fill out this
form and send it, with payment in full
or credit card information, to:
Methodist Home for Children
attn: Bryan Harris
1041 Washington Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
Top off
your support of
MHC with a stylish
hat. Adjustable cloth
strap allows for a comfortable,
custom fit. One size fits all.
Available in khaki.
NAME
SHIPPING ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP
DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER WITH AREA CODE
METHOD OF PAYMENT (CIRCLE)
Hat $15.00
CHECK ENCLOSED
MASTERCARD
VISA
NAME AS IT APPEARS ON CARD
SIGNATURE OF CARD HOLDER
CREDIT CARD NUMBER
EXPIRATION DATE
White T-shirt $12.00
$
$
$
SHIPPING & HANDLING
6% TAX (NC RESIDENTS ONLY)
TOTAL ENCLOSED OR TO BE CHARGED
$
$4.95
$6.95
$8.95
$10.95
ITEM
Wear the new MHC logo with pride. 100%
preshrunk cotton available in white with
small color logo on chest and large logo on
back. Sizes M–XXL.
$10.00–$25.00
$25.01–$50.00
$50.01–$100.00
$100.00+
SIZE
COLOR
QUANTITY
Travel Mug $12.00
SHIPPING CHARGES
(MINIMUM ORDER OF $10.00) SUBTOTAL
ITEM TOTAL
Ceramic Mug $5.00
PLEASE
PLACE A
MINIMUM
ORDER OF
$10.00
ITEM PRICE
Enjoy your
favorite beverage
on the road with
a MHC travel mug.
Made of durable
stainless steel, it will stand up to
the riggers of everyday use.
14oz. capacity.
Something
to warm your
heart—a hot beverage in a MHC
mug. Ceramic, 15 oz. mug with
over-sized handle. White mug
with purple logo.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SPRING 1999
Spotlight on the Family ™
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
Methodist Home for Children
1041 Washington Street
PO Box 10917
Raleigh, North Carolina 27605-0917
www.mhfc.org
PAID
LYNCHBURG, VA
PERMIT NO. 161
address correction requested
We try to be prudent with our mailing to avoid duplication. However, sometimes duplications do occur. Should your household
receive more than one copy of a mailing, please pass the duplicate to a friend and let us know so we may correct our records.
save the date
mark your calendar for these important dates
March 22–24, 1999
Food Lion Community Way Days (see page 5)
April 2–4, 1999
Methodist Orphanage/Methodist Home for Children Alumni Reunion (see page 5)
May 24, 1999
2nd Annual Methodist Home for Children Golf Classic (see page 7)
June 4, 1999
METHODIST
4th Annual Buffalo Open Golf Tournament (see page 7)
HOME FOR
CHILDREN
June 9–13, 1999
Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, NC Conference
June 26– July 4, 1999
We introduce our new logo. The hearts
are not perfect and each is as different
and unique as those we serve. Our
colors are warm and caring, the way we
approach helping others. As the needs
of children, youth and families have
changed, we have changed as well.
Although our look is new, our caring
hearts remain the same.
Special Olympics World Games
June 27, 1999
Methodist Home for Children’s 100th Birthday Party (more details to come this summer)
September 11, 1999
Methodist Orphanage/Methodist Home for Children Alumni Picnic
November 11, 1999
3rd Annual Andy Kanas Memorial Golf Tournament (see page 7)