5 Things I am Most Proud of at HopeTree

1. Graduation.
   
   The vast majority of students that come to HopeTree Academy are at least a year behind their peers when they arrive. Through the small class sizes, personalized education plans, and year-round classes, students can catch up on their work and be exposed to a variety of opportunities through job placement, vocational training, and secondary education. At HopeTree Academy, these students, for the first time, have the opportunity to achieve.

2.  Baptism.

Most, if not all, of the residents in Residential Care come to us without any time at all spent in a church. Our Christian Education Director works hard to provide sermons and activities that present the Word of God to them in a way that is both accessible and invigorating. That is why, when a resident decides to make a profession of faith, it is quite an endearing experience. Despite their difficult background, they have grown comfortable in their environs at HopeTree and open to the Christian values we try to instill in them.

3. Work.

From the hands-on training in the vocational classes, to the required chores around the cottages, to the job placements in the community, HopeTree teaches students the value of work. Seeing a student who has trouble focusing in the classroom suddenly delight in sanding down and staining a bed frame with such enthusiasm lets me know that he has found his niche in the vocational classroom. Not every student will go to college and some won’t make it through high school, but it makes me proud to know that they have every opportunity to find their passion and guide it towards a career aided by the helpful staff at HopeTree Academy.

4. Community

Despite all the struggles with acclimating to a new home, the residents at HopeTree always seem to pull through when we need their help. The youth are always willing to volunteer for our Walk-A-Thon, alumni reunion, and other special events when we need them. They also become enamored with on-campus community challenges like decorating the cottages for Christmas or building our Salem Christmas Parade float.

I also am proud of the community outreach seen in our Developmental Disabilities Ministry. Whether it’s volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House or serving as the chaplain at the local Civitan, our DDM residents are committed to service.

5. Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . at HopeTree! (I’ll give you a minute to get the song out of your head.) Christmas truly is a great time to be working at HopeTree. Each resident fills out a wish list and the community, even in these tough economic times, always pulls through and ensures that each youth will have a pile of presents come Christmas morning. For many residents, this will be the most plentiful Christmas they’ve had.

Grouped together by area, our DDM homes put on several Christmas lunches throughout the month. Adorned with Santa hats and filled with the holiday spirit our DDM residents enjoy delicious finger food, Christmas music, and fellowship.

HopeTree in the Salem Christmas Parade

"This has been the longest ongoing project I have ever done, and the interest level has never dropped," stated an enthusiastic Wayne Perkins, Vocational Teacher at HopeTree Academy.

The project began two summers ago when students built a small rectangular deck. It ends when an Appalachian-themed cabin sits on top of that deck as it travels along in the Salem Christmas parade on December 3rd, 2010. 

 Perkins’ vocational class and Heather Leisch’s art class have kept students busy this semester putting together this intensive project. The reason it was so time consuming is that most of the work was done by hand: hammers, chisels, hand saws, and a draw knife. 

 "Appalachian Studies specifically has a lot to do with the summer program [at HopeTree Academy]. The history classes were about Appalachian Studies so the kids really got to learn about the region and the era." 

 "We did a lot of field trips to areas that were rich in Appalachian culture and the way things were back then. And we just thought it would be really neat if the kids were creating the same style of furniture to carry that [theme] on to the float," stated Behavioral Support Specialist Dawn Alfonso. 

 After the deck was built students began cutting the logs, stacking them to dry in the hot summer sun, skinning the bark off with the draw saw, cutting them to length and chiseling notches to fit one another; all tools and techniques used by our forefathers. 

 Recently students have been using power tools to get the project ready on time. Students are still building a roof and installing window panes as the final touches. 

 Perkins collaborated with Leisch’s art class on the project that had the students make decorations for the cabin. The art students drew Christmas trees, stars, and snowflakes to be cut out on drill saws by the vocational students. 

 This is the first so many students at HopeTree Academy have been involved in the same project.

"I think all of the students are really excited about working together on something really big. And I know that the students who have worked on the cabin are excited about finishing it and having it have a purpose, using it for something," stated Leisch. 

 "They can see something that they have created and see what they can do with their creativity and their artistry and see something that they’ve put themselves into come to a final product," Alfonso claimed.