Spring 2016 Newsletter - Salem Children`s Trust
Transcription
Spring 2016 Newsletter - Salem Children`s Trust
Winter/Spring 2016 The Salem Spirit “He has really always wanted one single thing, Local NonProffit Provides a Roof over our Kids’ Heads - page 2 Salem receives $12,500 Grant! - page 3 Christmas for the Kids 2015 - page 4 Making Tracks at Salem - page 5 Thank you! Memorial/ Honorarium & Wish List - page 6-7 a family.” An Excerpt from a Letter to Salem Christmas is my favorite time of year. It is unfortunate the whole world cannot carry the magic of Christmas with them year round, doing for others, spreading joy and love and gratitude. Wouldn’t that be nice? You carry that magic all throughout the year. I have gone through some interesting experiences. I have always tried to see the good in people. Now, I have the opportunity to watch someone’s character and heart transform from inside the walls of prison. I found it interesting and heartwarming when I wrote a letter a few years ago, to someone who had practically become a stranger to me, other than the daily reminder of him every time I looked at my little girl. I always have known that hatred towards someone always does more damage to our own hearts, than to the one we intend for it to damage, so I wrote a kind letter asking a favor. I asked him to close his eyes and think of a time that he could remember being truly happy. I asked him to write a letter back to me to explain where his mind took him, who was around, and how he felt in his heart, when he allowed his mind to take him to that place. I found it interesting that the two places he told me about was not just with me, but further back to when he spent time with you. I guess why it touched me so much, is perhaps because I know a lot of the graphic details of this person’s history and childhood, and now adulthood. So to think that a short time there (at Salem) was what his heart kept taking him to; it must have been a pretty wonderful place. He tells me all the time, how he would cause you problems and he said he was so bad sometimes, but he said he always felt like you genuinely cared. (Cont. on Page 5) Share the Love Staff Corner Thank you! Garrett Cooperative Ministry Inc. Recently, we were blessed by a large donation from another local non-profit organization, Garrett Cooperative Ministy Inc., to help provide for the replacement of the roof on one of our children’s homes. We were so blessed by the investment in the children living here at Salem. We believe in your mission wholeheartedly. Thank you for supporting our kids! Garrett Cooperative Ministry Inc. is located here in Garrett County. Their mission is to “improve the quality of life for those in our community with limited means.” The profit from their thrift store, Christian Crossings, located in Loch Lynn, MD, enables them to provide financial assistance on behalf of individuals and families in the community who are in crisis situations. Annually, the organization has been able to provide between $50,000 and $85,000 to help pay for items such as electricity, security deposits, rent, doctor bills, mortgage payments, taxes, dental expenses, etc. If you happen to live in the Garrett County area, they accept any home furnishings, major appliances, furniture, kitchenware, clothing, books, toys, sporting equipment, etc., that are in good condition. It is beautiful to see unwanted items turned into a brand new roof for our children and similar blessings for many others in need! Visit www.christiancrossing.net for more information. Dallas Hockman, a day staff in one of our girls’ houses, recently noticed a need for more wholesome DVDs and cheery blankets for the living areas in our homes. Youth will now be able to curl up with a book, or enjoy one of the movies together as a group. Kudos to him for stepping up and going out of his way to help encourage others to meet this need. These Bankets and DVDs will make the winter months more enjoyable for our kids. Employees of the Quarter Winter 2015 Kat Kline, Ashley Knauer, Tyler Smearman, Scott Davies - Teaching Parents Way to go, Matthew House Staff! Winter/Spring 2016 A Big Thanks to the Rite Aid Foundation! Thank you Rite Aid for contributing $12,500! We are excited to have earned a grant of $12,500 as part of The Rite Aid Foundation’s challenge, called “Big Hearts Give,” which ran from October 1, 2015, to January 31, 2016. Thank you to everyone that designated Salem as the charity of their choice through the KidCents Program. The special challenge was designed by The Rite Aid Foundation to help KidCents charities raise awareness, grow their donor network and earn additional funds for the Rite Aid Foundation. In all, The Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents Program will donate nearly $1.6 million to 182 KidCents charities. We are so thankful for their support of our kids! Thank you! LaVale Lions Club for your gift of $500 toward a Van Concert, Movies, and Snow Tubing, Oh My! Thank you, Crossroads Church, Curt and Marilyn Weaver, Bontempo Ohly Capital Management, and Melvin United Methodist Church, for providing these activities for our children’s enjoyment! Thank you to everyone who made our kid’s Christmas so special! Describing Christmas joy is hard to do, but little compares to some of the smiles that we have the pleasure of seeing each year at WCBC’s “Christmas for the Kids.” Many of our children have never experienced this before, and our “host families” went above and beyond to bless our children. We cannot thank all of the donors enough for their generosity, as we would never have been able to bless each child to that extent as a non-profit organization. “S‘spenders” were among the top wishes for one of our boys, and he excitedly wasted no time with adding them to his wardrobe for the evening. Another young girl declared, “I just knew it! I am in HEAVEN!” when opening a gift set of watches. These are just a few examples of filling our children’s lives with joy at a time in the year when it can be very difficult for them to be away from their families, or wishing for relationships that may be lacking. Our hosts will never know the difference they have made in the hearts of our kids. Also, a special thanks goes out to our Santa and Mrs. Clause, who came to visit, the Sentinel Steel, Three Cats and a Mouse, the Snap Happy Booth by Higher Focus Studios, The Ramada Inn, the many local businesses that donated food, and especially Mary Clites and the staff at WCBC Radio Station for their countless hours planning and coordinating the party to be such an enjoyable evening! Thank you, Chi Sigma Sorority for collecting stockings for our kids to open on Christmas morning! Thank You! and local supporters that contributed to “Christmas for the Kids” Also, Thank you, New Life Covenant Church of God for the many gifts you showered upon the girls in the Thomas House this Christmas! Making Tracks at Salem Winter/Spring 2016 “When does running club start again? When’s the next race?” These questions are frequently asked by our kids, recently. Four of our girls completed their first race at the Fire and Ice Festival in Somerset, PA this winter. They met their goal of training for the 3 mile run and saving their allowance for the entry fee. They also achieved so much more than just their personal best race time. They enjoyed being part of a group of 250+ runners with the same determination. They learned perserverance, and set new goals to acheive for the future. The kids that needed appropriate shoes for the club and the race were given new shoes, as a reward for their hard work. It was a chilly day, but was perfect for enjoying the ice sculptures and fire rings spread throughout the downtown area Diane Ruckert, one of our Teaching Parents helping to lead the running club, said, “on a scale from 1 to 10, the day was a 15!” The children were so proud to have finished the race and to be so close to the overall winner of the race, Ian McFawn, who was also one of their volunteer coaches here at Salem. A few of our staff won medals for their individual age groups, which the girls were proud to wear for the rest of the day, as they enjoyed the special outing. It really was a team effort, as the Matthew House and various other Salem staff members came out to cheer on the girls in their accomplishments. We are so proud of you! Family (Cont. from Pg. 1) Not that you were doing a job or a duty, that you sincerely had a place for him in your heart, even though he was not the only one who needed it. I have heard so much from him about you, I feel like I know you myself. I guess what I am trying to say, is thank you for being such great people. If the love and kindness that you showed a young teenage boy was enough to keep his heart from turning to ice, even inside to eye of the snow storm and blizzards of chaos that surrounded him, then I have no choice but to believe God does His work through people like you. I have appreciated the time you have spent writing to him and giving him hope. I appreciate the pointers you give him on how to be a good man, a respectful as well as respectable man. I was speaking with a coworker of mine during our lunch break a week or so ago. I had just spoke with T---and my eyes had teared up a bit. They asked me what was wrong and I told them, “I think it is so sweet to hear the tone in his voice change every single time he says ‘have you spoke to my Pops?.” I can literally hear the happiness in his voice saying those words, as though it excites him to say it. I think T---- deep down behind all the smoke and mirrors (metaphorically speaking) he has really always wanted one single thing, a family. Thank you for showing him that he has a place in your heart, whether it is then or now. Thank you for extending that to my children and I... I hope to meet you someday... to shake hands and greet with a smile, the people who saved a soul years before they knew that they did. I am sure you have letters from kids from your past come often or frequently. But in this particular situation, I am giving you my personal gratitude and formal acknowledgement for what you do everyday and, most importantly, for who you are everyday. Thank you again! The Matthew House Village Protestant Church $5,000 - Toward Roof Repairs A Big Thank you to Village Protestant Church, Standard Charitable Foundation, Robert Fagan, and Joy Rice for their generous contributions to repair the Matthew House this year! With four homes around 25-30 years old there are many projects to be done and we are so greatful for the help to keep them in good repair! After Before Standard Charitable Foundation - $4,000 Matthew House Floor Before Matthew House Kitchen Renovation In Memory of Jack & Vivian Carnell by Joy Rice Robert Fagan - Matthew House Floor Thank you for the memorial contributions given to Salem in their names! In Honor: Mei Lin Corbin, by Patricia Corbin Reed’s Drug Store, by Sarah Jane Rawlings The Wedding of Lt. Cmdr. & Mrs. Arpad Korossy, by John & Louise Richards Amy Broadwater, by Wanda & Terry DeHaven Ken & Michelle Mixter, by Susan Nunamaker Alpha Lambda Sisters of Chi Sigma Sorority, by Marilyn and Curt Weaver Jack & Vivian Carnell, by Joy Rice Robin & Earl Smith, by Linda & Joe Inskeep Catherine Ann & Tom Fisher, by Linda & Joe Inskeep Ken Fisher by Sarah Bennett In Memory: Wally Beaulieu, by Vernita Beaulieu Margie Ridgeway, by Shirley Platt Mr. & Mrs. M. Ashby, by Sarah Jane Rawlings Barbara Jane Currier, by Gene Wilson Mary Szaljeski, by Michael & Karen Carroll Albert Mertens, by Caroline Hass Patricia Proctor, by Bill Proctor Jack & Pat Ruckert, by Susan Miller & Steve Ruckert Bernice & George Lucas, by Ronald Lucas Daniel Huebner, by Denise Huebner Deborah Hartman, by Gene Gall Alice Reuschlein, by Deborah Mohler Edward Kovach, by Andrea Crivelli-Kovach Lennis Titus, by Brent Toleman Jack & Vivian Carnell by Joy Rice Wish List Winter/Spring 2016 So many of you have stepped up to help us fund items this year! Just look at all the items marked “Funded!” Please consider helping us by sponsoring one of the remaining items! Capital Projects Residential & School - Paving Project Phase II - $35,000 - 12-Passenger Van for House - $24,500 - Minivan for Salem School - $17,000 - New Roofs for Children’s Houses - $12,500 to go - Flooring Renovations in James House - $4,000 - Kitchen Renovations for Houses - $5,000 ea. - Bathroom Renovations for Houses - $5,000 ea. - Boiler for Thomas House - $9,000 - Gator Utility Vehicle for the Barn - $4,000 - Bri-Mar Dump Trailer - $4,000 - Backhoe Tire Chains (17.5L-24) - $700 - 5 loads of stone for parking expansion - $300 ea. - 60 Gallon Air Compressor - $500 Thank you for your generosity! $12,500 towards new roofs, $500 towards a van 5 Folding Fitness Mats, 3 Flatscreen TVs, 5 Lamps, Craft supplies, Library books, 6 Beanbag Chairs, DVD Player, Cameras for Houses, and Posters for the kids’ rooms NEED of the Quarter: Andrew House Kitchen Renovation Over 25 years of wear and tear have left these cabinets in need of replacement. Please consider giving toward this project. - 1 Flat Screen TV - $450 - Conference Phone to use for IEP meetings -$300 - Color Laser Printer for School Secretary’s office - Vacuum Cleaners - 5 Spin mops - $40 each - Posters and Decorations for Walls - $20 per room - Radios / CD Players - $30 each - WII Games - $30 each - Plastic Storage Totes (any size) - $50 per house - Craft Supplies (crayons, pencils, markers, canvas and paints, objects for wood burning, pillow stuffing) - Scrapbooking Tools and Albums and Books - Fabrics and Thread for Quilting Projects - Donations Earmarked “Blinds for school windows” - Donations Earmarked “Library Books/Magazines” - 30, Orbis 6 gal. Stack and Carry Bins for Recycling - New Bath Robes for each Child - Bath Caddies and Toiletries for each Child Cabinet Hardware 40 pcs. Drawer 13 pcs. Small Cabinet 4 pcs. Large Cabinet 23 pcs. Corner Cabinet Island Countertop Main Countertop Installation Total Kitchen Renovation @ $5 ea. @ $30 ea. @ $75 ea. @ $125 ea. @ $250 @ $300 @ $400 @ $285 $5,000 Please mail to: Salem Children’s Trust 605 Salem Drive, Frostburg, MD 21532 Your Name:_________________________________________________ Your Address: _______________________________________________ Item Sponsored: _____________________________________________ Amount Enclosed: ___________________________________________ __In Honor or __ In Memory of: ________________________________ Address to Mail Recognition Card:_______________________________ NonProfit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Morgantown, WV Permit #108 The Maryland Salem Children’s Trust, Inc. 605 Salem Drive • Frostburg, MD 21532 Address Service Requested Located off Lower New Germany Road Phone: 301-689-8176 Fax: 301-689-1902 Email: [email protected] www.mdsalem.org Member CHA • MARFY • MANSEF Salem Golf Outing Save the Date Fri. June 17th Fore Sisters Golf Course Outspokin’ For Kids Banquet Sat. September 24th 5:00 PM We are Currently Seeking Sponsors, as well as taking registrations, for Both Events Send Requests for more Information to: 605 Salem Drive • Frostburg, MD 21532 301-689-8176 | [email protected]
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