The Write Touch

The lathe hums quietly as a HopeTree Academy student carefully presses a cutting tool to a small piece of wood. With a steady hand, patience, and gentle pressure, he soon coaxes a curved, elegant cylinder from a simple block of wood. The cylinder is destined to become the barrel of one of the gorgeous customized ink pens the HTA woodworking class has been producing since March.

The pens are just one of many projects Vocational Instructor Jeff Young has devised to serve as teaching situations for his classes in woodworking, welding, and mechanics. The classes are designed to give students a basic introduction to tool usage and safety, then allow them to expand and develop their skills at their own pace. Quite often students discover they have surprising levels of aptitude they never expected. The pens began three month ago as a simple project to give the students a change of pace from building working on larger items like the Corn Toss Games and wooden patio furniture. However, the pens have turned out to be so popular, the class has produced over 500 of them for distribution to friends and supporters of the Agency. A wid assortment of oak, walnut, pine, and other woods have been used to create the body of the pens. Young and his students have also experimented with different types of acrylic material. Between the variations in wood grain and the artistry of the students shaping the pens, no two of the writing instruments are identical.

 

Throughout the process, the students learn valuable, marketable skills as well as enhance their own feelings of self-worth. Coupled with other ‘real world’ skills students learn in the Vocational Program, these students are definitely putting themselves in position to ‘write their own tickets’ to successful futures once they leave HopeTree.

The Smiles in their Hearts

   Every May, HopeTree Family Services' Developmental Disabilities Ministry conducts Camp Coley/Keaton. This Camp experience originally began through the efforts of a parent who was one of our earliest supporters of our efforts to assist adults with intellectual disabilities. Named Camp Keaton in her honor, this was a great opportunity for 'the guys' to have a few days of fun and relaxation and fellowship with their peers and friends from other locations. A few years ago, the name was changed to Camp Coley/Keaton in honor of Wayne Coley who had worked tirelessly on behalf of adults with intellectual disabilities for the Baptist Mission Board and HopeTree Family Services.

   Should you ever have the opportunity to attend one of these camps, please do. The absolute joy exuded by the men and women who attend is unrivaled by anything else you will experience. Their comraderie, their enthusiasm, their compassion, and their unbridled excitement will give you a wondrous new outlook on life. One must see the spring in their steps and feel the joy beaming from their faces to appreciate how much these men and women enjoy life. Behind the smiles and laughs and joyful banter live questing minds, loving hearts, and searching souls filled with a committment to their faith that must be experienced to be appreciated.  

  

A Fin Good Time

Probably one of HopeTree’s greatest, but most over-looked, assets is the large fishing pond nestled under the hill between the main campus and Interstate 81. Beautiful in any season, the pond restores, relaxes, and offers recreation to all residents and many friends. Such was the case on Saturday, May 14 when HopeTree hosted its annual Fishing Rodeo, an event that has served as part Open House, part Thank-You party for the Salem Community and HopeTree’s supporters for nearly 20 years.


Thanks to the efforts of Activities Director Larry Hicks and donations from the Roanoke Kiwanis Club and Hall Community Services, the pond was stocked the prior week with nearly a thousand Rainbow trout. In addition, two former residents have been instrumental for many years in helping maintain the pond. Fred Brownley keeps the brush cut back and Matt Willard maintains the large rocks which protect the pond’s banks. HopeTree’s Staff Trainer Lisa Assad and her son Zach contributed a great deal of weed-eating labor before the rodeo.

Although Saturday dawned darkly overcast and threatening, the environment around the pond was welcoming and the faces bright with smiles as residents and friends alike circled the water to cast their lines. Nearly everyone was rewarded with a fish (or five or more). More importantly, the fellowship and the spontaneous way Children’s program residents came to the aid of our Developmental Disabilities Ministry residents was truly heartwarming.
 

Swarming into Spring

   A couple of days ago, staff looked out the window of one of our buildings on the Salem campus and saw a very strange thing. There was a huge brownish blob on the sidwalk near our Chapel. Strange. Even stranger, this blob seemed to vibrate and shift. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered this undulating, earth-toned mass was a swarm of honeybees.

   Most people probably don't realize it, but there have been at least three very active hives of bees living in the walls of the Carpenter Cottage for roughly 20 years. Its quite entertaining to watch the bees come and go through cracks in the mortar between the bricks comprising the old buildings walls. From time to time when the building still hosted our on-campus school, bees would find their way through cracks in the plaster and come out in the classroom. Students and staff often said they could smell honey. Each Spring the bees would swarm and a fair number of them would take off into the surrounding community to find a place to establish their own hive. This week, for whatever reason, the bees only made it about 30 feet before halting their journey.

   Fortunately, one of our DDM area coordinators, Wayne Craig, happens to be a beekeeper. Quickly donning his gear, he gathered the bees into an extra hive box to protect both the bees and any residents or staff passing by.

   Perhaps there is a good lesson here for us. When the time has come for our residents (or our own children) to set off into the wide world on their own, there will probably be occasion when they'll need a little help to make sure they find safety and security.

  

Reading, reading, more reading....

Just as Spring is trying to creep back into our lives, HopeTree Family Services offers a couple of new reasons why you can sit snugly inside for just a little while if you want. First, our March magazine will soon be hitting mailboxes across the country. It is already available on our website for those of you who like to view it electronically.

The second reason you can curl  up with a warm monitor, would be to read a note posted on our Facebook page. This 'note' provides some spectacular perspective on the need to begin now planning for the long-term care of an adult with intellectual disabilities. This document provides three different examples of families who took care to begin their planning well in advance of the day when care by someone outside the family would be needed. As you read their stories, you will see why planning needs to take place as soon as possible so that the family can have all their resources and desires addressed when the time comes for their loved one to take up residence in a new environment. This article also contains some important financial and legal considerations that should be carefully investigated.

So...now that you have some good reading to do, off you go....the wonderful world of words awaits. You can always smell the flowers when they finish blooming.

Of course, if reading really isn't your thing, please call HopeTree Family Services at 540-389-2112 and we can answer your questions.

In times of trouble

   The catastrophic situation in Japan seems more like a horrific Hollywood script than a series of real events. Seeing millions of people's lives completely devastated by conditions so far beyond their control as to be unimaginable leaves even the stoutest heart trembling.
   "What if that happened here," we ask ourselves. "There, but for the grace of God, go I," we say.
   "How can God allow something like this," we ask. "God doesn't give us more than we can handle," we say.
   Those same questions and statements have often been used when discussing the many, many different individuals HopeTree Family Services cares for each year. The challenges our residents, clients, and charges face seem to pale compared to the obstacles, dangers, sorrows, fears, and trauma faced by those in Japan in the foreseeable future. While the world turns it's attention and compassion toward this devastated island nation that must begin completely rebuilding itself for the second time in a century, please don't let your attention completely stray from the care and support those in our care need. Yes, the tragedy in Japan needs, deserves, requires response from all those who can offer some sort of solace, compassion, or relief, but we ask that the very real needs of our ministry, and others already in motion, not be completely abandoned. In meeting the needs of ALL those who call out for support, we must all seek new methods, ideas, procedures, and yes, sacrifices, in providing that support.

May God bless us all.

Mini-Fundraisers

There are lots of different ways you can support HopeTree Family Services that don’t require a lot of heavy lifting or tedious legwork on your part. Here are just a few to consider.

1) Make your online purchases through Good Search and designate HopeTree as your charity of choice. A portion of the money you spend will be contributed to us.

2) Contribute to HopeTree through the United Way campaign at your place of employment. We are a Write In Participant.

3) Grocery Store Shopping Cards - Most major grocery chains now offer Shopper’s Cards you can link to a charitable organization. A percentage of the money you spend on groceries is donated back to the charity of your choice. Consult your local grocer for details.

4) Matching Gifts from your employer. Many companies will match their employees’ contributions to charitable organizations. Check with your Human Resources or Business Office personnel to find out if your company provides this service.

5)Make a contribution on our web site and you can choose to have it automatically renew each month.

6) Share the word about who we are and what we do with your family, friends, and neighbors. You can find HopeTree Family Services on Facebook and Twitter.

Growing through Grief

HopeTree Family Services specializes in taking young people out of bad situations and making things better. In the area of adults with intellectual disabilities, we provide comfort, security, and the perfect environment that nurtures growth. Sometimes, however, troubling situations still happen in the lives of our residents. Recently, we lost three members of our DDM community to health issues, prolonged and sudden. A staff member died after a nine-month battle with cancer and two residents died very quickly of health complications.

All three passed away within a span of four weeks.

To have that much loss in so short a time can lead to major questions of faith. Much to their credit, our staff, the residents, and their families, were not only able to ask those questions, but search for and provide solid, comfort-giving answers.

Through major efforts to support, encourage, and comfort each other, the tight-knit community that is DDM grew even closer as a result of the passing of these three cherished individuals. They all came to rely on each other and their varying levels of Faith to come to understand that death is very much a part of life and that God had a plan for us all in transitioning to a great life with Him once we have finished with the current life he has given us.

You can read about this extraordinary situation in the upcoming issues of the Caring Times magazine and insert in the Religious Herald. If you do not receive these publications by mail, they will also be available on our website, http://www.hopetreefs.org/. Watch this space for publication announcements.

Giving the Future Some Thought...

   There's a lot of talk on the airwaves and in government meetings about the massive increase in the need for medical care in the coming years as the Baby Boomers begin to start feeling the effects of their long, full lives. As this historic wave of increased population rolls into its Golden Years, there will come another wave of need on its heels that no one seems to be talking about.

   The need to care for adults with intellectual disabilities.

   Anyone even remotely associated with Special Olymics, Special Education, or a friend or family member with intellectual disabilities can tell you our society has offered woefully few options for this segment of our population. In recent years, the quality and amount of care available nationwide has made great strides, but there is still a long way to go to provide the qualilty and quantity of services the intellectually challenged.

HopeTree Family Services has been making a dedicated effort to provide the highest standard of service to adults with intellectual disabilities and their families for nearly 20 years. In that span of time, we've learned a lot and make every effort to share what we've learned with anyone facing the dilema of providing long-term care for an adult with intellectual disabilities.

Perhaps the most valuable bit of advice is: PLAN AHEAD. The demand for services is high and will get substantially higher in the coming years. The supply of quality care facilities is limited. It is not unusual for a family to wait 6-8 years for a space to become available in a care facility.

Make sound, informed financial plans. Medicare Waiver funds for adults with disabilities are also in high demand and short supply. The waiting list is long. Families should begin as soon as possible to develop financial strategies to cope with the high cost of long-term care.

HopeTree Family Services encourages all families caring for someone with intellectual disabilities to explore as many options and alternatives as possible. The more information you have at your disposal, the greater chance you will make the most appropriate decision for the welfare of your loved one.

If you would like to discuss the options we offer, please call 540-389-5468 and ask to speak with someone in the Developmental Disabilities Ministry.

The Joys of Sunshine

   There are two inescapable aspects of this day; high wind and sunshine. It's somewhat amazing that in the span of possibly an hour, a dense, world-enclosing fog was swept away and replaced by brilliantly clear skies and a pummelling wind. The steady, chill rain of the night is banished and a crystalline day stands proudly before us. Though the wind probably runs before another change in the weather, we will enjoy the warming, cheerful sun while we can.
   Days like this are fantastic at HopeTree Family Services. The campus is beautiful in any season and any weather. But when the sun shines clear and strong, the residents seem to step a little lighter, smile a touch brighter, and laugh a little more often. It's as if God's love pours down on them through the sunshine and it seeps into their souls. With a weather forecast like that, how can you go wrong?

Finding a Foothold

   I love going to the beach. The surf, the sand, the smell of salt on the air; all surge through me, restoring my spirit and relaxing my mind. My favorite spot on the beach is just before the breakers, where the water comes up to my knees. From there, I can gaze out to the ocean and watch the waves pour toward the shore in their timeless, relentless patterns. But the sand along that stretch of the beach often shifts underfoot as the tide rolls in and returns. I slowly sink and soon become off-balance. I have to adjust my footing and reset my stance. I can never truly physically rest there, but my view of what lies before me is worth the occasional physical effort.
   At HopeTree Family Services, we seek to provide roughly that same experience for those in our care. We are here to restore souls and minds. From here, we provide a better view of what the future can be. But we are not a place to remain stationary. From here, we not only provide a view of the future, we supply the encouragement and the guidance to actually obtain that future. HopeTree Family Services provides not shifting sand, but a firm foothold beneath the waves rolling in from the ocean of life.

I have hope…

that this year will be full of God’s blessings, if we open our eyes to see.

that we can each make a difference, every one of us.

that beauty and creation will overpower hate and destruction.

that lives can and will be transformed.

that the light will shine in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.

that we can learn to be and live as the people of God and bring about the kingdom of God.

that hope is greater than fear.

that God will give us faith hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.

that love will grow here.

that love will win.

Rev. Jenny Call, M.Div.

Director of Christian Education

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.

Keeping Score

Bill Jones has probably run the floor of the HopeTree gym more than many of the residents who have lived here over the years. Jones referees recreational league basketball games in the gym during the winter, maintaining a relationship with HopeTree that began when he was 15 years old and discovered that two of his closest friends lived here.

"I was just amazed at the opportunities here for people who didn’t have parents," said Jones.

Recently, the gym’s original scoreboard, which had ticked off the seconds and tallied up points and fouls for 45 years ticked its last tock. Despite a diligent search, replacement parts simply were not to be found. Rather than see HopeTree incur the expense of a new scoreboard, Jones, who owns and operates a Fast Signs franchise in Salem, consulted his contacts in the sign industry and was able to locate a supplier who offered a discount on a new scoreboard. Jones covered the remaining cost out of his own pocket.

"I was lucky and had two parents who raised me. People up here sometimes don’t have that opportunity for one reason or another. I think anytime the community can help these kids get set in life, we need to help. The fortunate people need to help the unfortunate people. It’s a privilege to be able to donate something back."

Green and Burgandy Hearts All Across Virginia

  One of our most valuable constituents do not receive enough attention for the hard work they do on behalf of HopeTree. They coordinate Walks, generate mailing addresses, recruit and train volunteers, speak on our behalf, and disseminate HopeTree publications to their congregation. These volunteers are passionate, active, and inspiring. They are our Church Representative Network.

  The HopeTree Development staff work very hard to spread the good news of the wonderful ministries at HopeTree. However, with so many Baptist Churches on our mailing list we do not know if our message is reaching everyone. Thus, the CRN was created to act as a liaison between HopeTree and the Baptist community.

  While our CRN volunteers are active and enthusiastic, there simply aren't enough of them to effectively spread HopeTree's message across the great state of Virginia. Volunteering as a CRN is an incredibly emotionally satisfying experience. It makes you an active participator in enhancing the lives of the at-risk youth and adults with intellectual disabilities in our care. Rather than being a passive observer, why not indulge yourself in HopeTree's great ministries and see for yourself the difference you can make in the lives of others?

  So to all of our CRN volunteers: thank you. You truly effect the lives of the residents at HopeTree in a tremendous way. To everyone else—active supporters, passive readers, or people just learning about HopeTree—consider joining the CRN. It won't cost you any money or extensive travel. It isn't very time consuming either. All it takes is a big heart.


If you are interested and live in the western half of the state, contact:
David Wilson
(540) 389-2112
davidw@hopetreefs.org


or in the eastern half of the state:


Donna Lohr Wilbourne
(804) 545-1202
donnaw@hopetreefs.org

We Hope She's Always Here

Patti works carefully, cheerfully. Her brilliant smile and her bubbling laughter leave their unmistakable traces along her designated aisles of the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. Patti has volunteered here for over a decade. In those years she has made an impression on everyone around her. Truly, everyone.

"Patti will brighten [the clients’] day with the comments she makes and the conversations she will start with them. The other volunteers look for her on a regular basis and she brings them little gifts. She brings joy to all of our hearts. She really inspires the other volunteers and the employees with all the things she can do and how hard she works," said Food Bank Volunteer Coordinator Julie Kishpaugh.

Each month, the Food Bank provides food to roughly 300 people and agencies from five surrounding counties: King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline, and Fredericksburg. Patti, a resident of the Kelly Home for adults with intellectual disabilities in Fredericksburg, spends one day a week stocking shelves at the food bank with dry goods, cereal, and other non-perishables. While some may consider the task tedious, Patti believes its important. Furthermore, Kishpaugh and the other Food Bank staff members know the task is important.

"Organization of the shelves is very important. The people who come in here are intimidated enough. The nicer and straighter and the better quality of food we keep on the shelves, the better they’re going to feel about their visit here. Patti makes sure everything on the shelves is neat and clean. Most of the products’ use dates are checked, but if she sees something she’s not sure about, she’ll let us know," explained Kishpaugh.

Patty began her time at the Food Bank when she once worked at a local fast food restaurant and had some extra time on her hands. Staff took her by the Food Bank to see if she might have an opportunity to volunteer or even work there. Soon after, Patti found a job that required more of her time, but she did not want to surrender her time at the Food Bank.

"She really enjoys helping others, so this is great for her. It has to do with Patty’s compassion for others. Even at home, she is always wanting to help," explained DDM Area Coordinator Gail Hylton. 

A true ‘go-getter’, Patti also holds a part-time job elsewhere in the area where she works three days a week. She is also active in her church. Like many of HopeTree’s Developmental Disabilities Ministry residents, Patti enjoys participating fully in the life she sees going on around her. The work she does at the food bank is just one of the ways she contributes to the overall quality of life in the Fredericksburg community. In doing so, Kishpaugh says, she becomes a shining example for others to follow.

 
"When you are giving yourself to volunteer, you do it whole-heartedly to your best ability and let people know that you are actually enjoying yourself. We’ve had younger kids come in here, either court-ordered or probated and they look at her and say ‘Wow, she comes here every week and she likes it and nobody makes her?’ Patti is the perfect example to hold up to the younger generations and say this is what it means to volunteer and help someone who truly needs it," said Kishpaugh.

A Special Class for Special Friends

Aww, he’s a handsome dude," Patty commented on the picture of a young man in military attire, standing in front of a fighter plane. 

The young man is the son-in-law of Fredericksburg Area Coordinator Gail Hylton and the subject of the Special Friends Sunday School Class topic on Psalm 91. For many years, verses from Psalm 91 have been sent to soldiers overseas, offering them protection and encouragement. 

The framed picture of the young pilot, Gabe, was passed around among each DDM resident. The picture is important for adults with intellectual disabilities, Gail notes, because the residents benefit from having physical objects in their hands. 

"We do a lot of object lessons. We do things that are visual for them," Gail said of the DDM residents. "We do role playing. We’ve done the manger scene and Joseph and his coat of many colors." 

The DDM residents at HopeTree represent a wide spectrum of functioning, making it difficult to teach a class that will reach everyone. That’s why Gail’s picture of her son-in-law works as a visual learning tool for most residents’ cognitive abilities but also addresses the needs of a blind resident like Mark. 

"Mark is very attentive to everything he hears, and he’ll ask you something if he doesn’t quite get it," Gail noted.

Having something to hold is a normal part of Mark’s learning process and it makes him feel like he’s a part of the group. 

The residents’ interest, spirit, and understanding came as a bit of a surprise to Gail when she started the Special Friends Class in 1979. Fresh out of college with a degree in Special Education, Gail was the only person at Fredericksburg Baptist Church with any experience working with disabled individuals. The mother of a future DDM resident needed a place for her daughter while she attended Sunday school class and the Sunday School Director thought Gail would be the perfect person to start up the program. 

"At first, we thought it would be like a babysitting service," Gail stated. "Our goal changed very quickly. We found out they have a wonderful spiritual life. They taught us a lot about simple things. All those things we take for granted, or forget about as adults, they remember those things." 

The residents became very involved in the class and the numbers began to grow. Through the strong spiritual foundation of the class, several residents were baptized. 

"I’ve been in the baptismal pool with one lady. I’ll never forget, she was clapping her hands the whole time saying ‘Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me,’" Gail remembered with a smile. "Well, you can’t get anymore profound than that." 

That energy is just as strong in the residents today—where a class can field up to 35 total people—as it was 31 years ago. The residents enjoy starting the morning off with several songs led by a volunteer duo that play piano and sing. 

What’s remarkable is not just each resident’s familiarity with every word of every song, but the fact that they all know the signs for each word as well. This way, the several residents that have audio and visual impairments do not feel left out and are often the most enthusiastic of the group. 

To reflect the day’s message of supporting our troops overseas, the songs shift to patriotic themes. After the last verse of "My Country ‘tis of Thee", Gail asks for prayer requests. DDM resident Barbara is the first to respond with a request for our troops. Her appeal is not solely topical. She makes the request every week. At home in the Kelly Home, Barbara frequently watches the news and will often bring questions to Gail about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

"She’s very well-aware and she’s very spiritual," Gail said of Barbara. "Their spirituality is so awesome because they have compassion for so many people." 

Barbara was a member of Fredericksburg Baptist Church for many years and, in many ways, was the catalyst behind the foundation of the Kelly and Cates Homes. Her parents began to wonder who would care for her after they had passed. Because the Special Friends were so embraced and supported by the church, its members set out to find them a home. Soon after, a local community member donated the homes and church members donated their time and resources to fixing it up. 

"The church owns the property and takes care of the maintenance, while HopeTree runs the program," Gail stated. "It’s really a wonderful relationship." 

Now the class consists of nearly all of the Kelly and Cates Home residents as well as other members of the community with intellectual disabilities. It has turned into a program that fosters community, fellowship, and the Word of God.

Motorvation

  Four years ago, WOODS Vocational Teacher Richard Dudding had an idea. Why not introduce his students to a lifetime hobby of his that he had enjoyed since he was even younger than they were? Finding no reason not to, Dudding initiated his students into the world of Demolition Derby.

  Perhaps not the most attractive or alluring of all the variations of motor racing in the world, but Demolition Derby racing gave Dudding the perfect opportunity to meld three important concepts into a single cohesive activity: teaching auto mechanics, recycling, and fun.

  Certainly, the auto mechanics teaching component would easily fit into the world of demolition derbies. But what about recycling?

  Dudding and his students build their race cars from donated automobiles that their former owners are ready to park on the junk heap. Essentially, having them demolished is almost an improvement for some of these ‘junkers’. Once an old clunker is dragged or pushed into Dudding’s shop, the first stage of recycling is over and the mechanics instruction kicks into high gear.

  "We bring in an old car and totally dismantle it. The only thing left inside is the steering wheel, the shifter, the brake and accelerator pedals. Then we install a safety cage which protects the driver," explained Dudding.

The body comes completely off the car and then the frame is inspected for rust damage and structural weakness. Designed weak spots, called crush points, are reworked to take away their flexibility and give the vehicle frame more strength and additional protection for the driver.

  Then work begins on the engines.

  "We completely tear down the engines and transmissions and make sure all the components are good. If not, we put in new rings, bearings, timing components, and rebuild carburetors. Transmissions get new clutches and new differentials; plus the gear ratio has to be changed," said Dudding.

  While Dudding could, and has, taught all these same skills in a more traditional vocational manner, he finds that since the students are working toward the definite goal watching their work driving around the race ring, not only does their motivation increase, so does their satisfaction in completing their work.

  "The main thing I try to stress to the kids is just have fun. Actually, they get a lot of hands on learning that they wouldn’t get anywhere else. When they tear a car down they get a complete knowledge of the internal components of a vehicle. Most people can’t even change the oil."

  Dudding’s students learn enough about automobiles and how they function to perform all the basic maintenance on their own vehicles someday. Furthermore, some students learn they have a great affinity for this type of work and plan to pursue auto mechanics as a career. At that point, they will need to enroll in a program with greater resources than WOODS offers. Vehicles today have many advanced computerized systems that WOODS is not equipped to teach. However, the basic overview Dudding provides does give his students a good head start.

  Students frequently recycle their attitudes during the course of the class. Many of the WOODS residents have anger management issues to contend with. Dudding has found that wrestling rusty fenders off old cars and freeing up frozen nuts and bolts provide healthy outlets for pent up anger and aggression.

 

  "After the car is finished and it accomplishes something, the kids feel better about themselves. They have the great experience of starting something and finishing it. This gives them a sense of pride. Some of our kids come in angry at the world. They’ve never done anything besides sit behind the remote on a television or a video game. Once they get into this program, some really shine. Some will go on to trade schools," said Dudding.

  Once the cars have been rebuilt, it’s time to race. Dudding, who has driven in demolition derbies for years, climbs behind the wheel while his students cheer from the sidelines. The class has built four cars in four years and each car has reached the finals multiple times over the course of their ‘season’.

  With trophies, photos, and memories to show for their time and effort, not to mention a far more detailed understanding of how an automobile functions, Dudding’s students are then ready for the next round of recycling. When the season is over and the car is finished, the students take out their tools once more and completely dismantle the vehicle and sell it for scrap. Any parts that are still in good enough condition to re-use go on a shelf to await new life in the next car. Everything else gets sold. Proceeds from each car help pay for any parts needed for the next vehicle the class revives for demolition. Students learn and practice new skills, vehicles destined for the junk heap are utilized far beyond what their previous owners would have imagined, an already respectable program gains a new way of improving the skills it teaches participants. Certainly, a combination worthy of a checkered flag.

Higher Education

  A great many of our residents come to us a grade or two behind their peers in the classroom. Some struggle with truancy issues while others simply have not been given the necessary attention that is often absent in too many overcrowded schools nowadays. It is a struggle for the teachers at HopeTree Academy to keep the students focused on their work load while getting them to believe in themselves. However, with patience and diligence the teachers do see success. Within a year, most students are caught up with their school work and will either return home or continue their education at HopeTree.

  What is more impressive, is the growing number of graduates from HopeTree Academy continuing their education when they leave. The encouragement and networking efforts from the staff foster the interests and confidence in students to take the next step once they receive their diplomas.

  Recent graduates Kaylah and Scottie already have their career paths lined up, having enrolled for classes at Virginia Western Community College already. With the upcoming Personal Development class (Caring Times, August 2010) I think we will be seeing more students discovering their talents and interests and finding ways to pursue them as careers.

  The staff at HopeTree Academy, as well as the cottage counselors and social workers, and very good at getting the residents to believe in themselves. Once the residents have taken that step, the sky is the limit.