Daniels Home Welcomes Visitors
The construction is complete, the furniture is in place and the students and staff are now settled into their new home. On Aug. 15, the residents and staff of the Dr. Jack Kyle and Evelyn Daniels Home held an open house to introduce their new house to other MCH staff and students. Visitors toured the rooms and enjoyed refreshments as they experienced the new layout design.
The Daniels Home is the first component of a broader capital campaign in which state-of-the-art homes will be built to better meet the needs of the youth served by MCH. The new home incorporates design elements to encourage more interaction while also providing added feelings of safety for residents as well as apartments for home parents. Bethany Parrott, unit manager for the Daniels Home, said her staff and residents are enjoying the new design.
On Wednesday, Aug. 17, the home’s namesake, Dr. Jack Kyle and Evelyn Daniels, visited the Waco campus bringing along their daughter Lyn, her husband Mike and son Cole. After touring the Visitors Center at the Perkins Heritage Home, the family went to see the Daniels Home. It was the first time their daughter had seen the home and the first time Dr. and Mrs. Daniels had seen the home fully furnished.
“We are still overwhelmed with the honor of having the building named for us and welcomed a glimpse of the benefits that will come to the present and future residents of the Daniels Home,” he added. “We pray daily for MCH and have hearts full of gratitude for our lifetime relationship with so great a ministry.”
U.M. ARMY 2016
Several youth from Methodist Children’s Home spent a week serving others in Bryan, Texas. Each summer, MCH partners with Kingwood UMC and United Methodist Action Reach-Out Mission by Youth (U.M. ARMY) for hands-on mission projects.
U.M. ARMY holds work camps with youth and adult volunteers. Work camps provide much-needed home repair assistance for people in need. FUMC Bryan hosted the youth for the camp, which was themed “True Identity.”
“The focus was helping all of us to take a look at how our identity in Jesus impacts the actions in our lives, and in the lives that we touch,” said Ron Britton, MCH discipleship minister. “I think our youth saw what a difference they can make in the lives of others and in the world.”
MCH youth pushed through long, hot days at three different locations to build a wheelchair ramp, an awning and a deck for their clients. Noah, who lives at the Boys Ranch had this to share: “I enjoyed the prayer walks and having an opportunity to help others in need. I felt I grew spiritually because there was no judgment from others on how you worshipped and everyone accepted others as they were.”
MCH Staff and Youth Work Together to Volunteer in Waco
Methodist Children’s Home youth volunteered alongside our MCH Family Outreach in Waco and transitional services staff on Sept. 11 at the “Just Between Friends” consignment sale at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.
“Just Between Friends” provides quality goods at a great price to the community. They utilize their platform to promote local charities such as MCH Family Outreach. At the end of the sale any items not sold are identified as donations and given to local charities. In return MCH Family Outreach provides volunteers to assist with post breakdown, sorting and donation gathering.
“This volunteer experience allows our youth and staff to come together as an MCH family to work on a greater project that gives back to our community,” said Brook Davilla, director of MCH Family Outreach in Waco.
The donations are brought back to the MCH Family Outreach building and placed in the family resource closet. The resource closet allows families participating in MCH services to select items such as clothing, toys and bedding.
“The family resource closet was lovingly decorated a few years ago by a local girl scout,” added Davilla. “We hope we can provide a way to meet our families’ needs in a way that is filled with dignity and respect.”
Any items not utilized through current participants in case management or parent education are also shared with local agency partners such as Care Net, Acts Church, Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and children in local after-school programs.
“One day a local church asked us if we had any little girls clothing for two sisters who were in need,” said Cathy Lawless, administrative secretary for MCH Family Outreach in Waco. “We welcomed the church to bring the girls so that they could select their own clothing and have a ‘shopping spree.’ It was a joy to witness the excitement of the girls as they shopped. To be able to meet tangible needs of families in a way that is honoring and fun for them is a daily blessing.”
Boys Ranch Renovations
The Boys Ranch is getting some updates! The horse barn now has a new metal roof, rebuilt south-end wall and has been extended to add two stall areas for horses needing medical treatment. Also, the Administration building and Fern Cone have been updated with new paint, windows and siding to help withstand the elements of the weather. The Dining Hall has also been painted and updated.
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