From Northern Alabama
Decatur campus resident Jennifer Collins has performed as second chair clarinet in the band at Decatur High School, where she is a senior. She also has demonstrated her musical talents and skills in worship services at church.
Decatur campus resident Alicia Smith was Student of the Month for September at Somerville Road
Elementary School, where she is in the fifth grade. Another Decatur campus resident, Tiffany Colbert, was Student of the Year at the same school for 1999-2000.
Decatur campus resident Jimmy Stracener has played football as cornerback on his undefeated, eighth grade team at Oak Park Middle School in Decatur. Another Decatur campus resident, Heath Esch, has been right guard and right tackle on his seventh grade football team at Oak Park. One way Heath has strengthened his arm and shoulder muscles for football has been to play the tuba in his middle school band.
Marie Terry is preparing for her final exams in cosmetology. She has kept fellow residents at the Decatur campus excited about hairstyle trends while she has been a student at Alabama Business College of Cosmetology in Decatur.
Decatur campus residents whose school grades earned them A Honor Roll status recently are Shastin, Hannah, Alicia, and Brianna. Earning A/B Honor Roll status are Brittany, Tiffany, Matthew B., Josh, Matthew C., and Heath.
Connie McNutt, GA director at Round Island Baptist in Athens, and her sons Daniel and Adam recently delivered their church’s Christmas in August collection to the Decatur campus. To administrative assistant Paulette Devine, they also delivered $300 collected by children at Round Island’s recent Vacation Bible School.
Grady Easterling’s Sunday School class at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church in Athens has frequently given personal
hygiene, general cleaning, and school supplies to the Decatur campus. Members also have given money toward new bedroom furniture.
GAs from Emmanuel Baptist in Limestone Association have given $1,200 for new bedroom furniture at the Decatur campus. Special thanks to Limestone and Madison association leaders for helping the Decatur campus to educate area churches so a $25,000 goal for new bedroom furniture can be exceeded. Over $28,000 was collected.
Members of Mt. Zion Baptist in Huntsville have given toys, Christian music tapes, and personal hygiene items for the Decatur campus.
From central/northeastern Alabama
Debbie Buffaloe has joined the Children’s Homes staff as the new social worker at the Anniston office. Debbie has previous experience working in foster care and with parents and children in need. She enjoys helping families restore their relationships and has accepted God’s call to be involved in recruiting foster care parents in central/northeastern Alabama.
The foster care ministry of the Children’s Homes is growing in central/northeastern Alabama. Three families are in the approval process, and more prospective foster care parents are needed. Call Debbie Buffaloe or Ted Embry at 256.235.2558 for details.
Rod Campbell has come to the Children’s Homes as professional counselor. He is helping hurting families and individuals through professional counseling services made possible by Children’s Homes partnerships with Calhoun, Dekalb and Etowah associations. Rod recently completed an intensive master’s degree program to prepare him for his new work.
From central Alabama
At a cost of about $90,000, renovation and expansion of the Gardendale group home are almost finished. An additional bedroom and bathroom are among the improvements. Within a month of completing the floor plan for the project, the Children’s Homes received a $50,000 gift and volunteers from area churches began to offer help.
About $30,000 is needed to complete the project and furnish the new rooms. To give, call Steve Sellers at toll-free 888.720.8805.
Members of Lakewood Baptist Church in Birmingham have given money in honor of Whitney Lenoir’s 10th birthday. Whitney leads collection of a Children’s Homes offering at her church every Sunday morning. Parents are Tommy and Diane Lenoir, and grandparents are Mrs. John Summerford and the late John Summerford.
Faith Sunday School class at First Baptist Sandusky surprised Millie Jones with a baby shower for the newborn for whom she and husband C.O. are foster care parents. Millie and friends later toured the Children’s Homes’ maternity care home in Alabaster.
From southeastern Alabama
For the past three months, students from Baptist College of Florida in Graceville have made monthly visits to the Dothan group home for Houseparents Night Out. The students have led recreational games, eaten dinner, and shared their Christian testimonies with the residents. Area Director Cecilia Raley said the college students “especially connect” intellectually and socially with many of the residents who are close to high school graduation. “The same college students come most of the time, and this has helped them to develop close friendships with the residents,” Cecilia said. “One of our youth made a re-commitment to Jesus Christ as a result of one of the college group’s visits.” The group’s visits have been coordinated by Baptist College of Florida student Hope Archey.
Southeastern Alabama churches that have helped the Dothan group home in recent months have included First Baptist Headland, Newbia Baptist in Elba, Camp Springs Baptist in Columbia, Ridgecrest Baptist in Dothan, Mt. Gilead Baptist in Dothan, El Bethel Baptist in Chancellor, First Baptist Eufaula, Bethel Baptist in Brent, and Bethany Baptist in Dothan.
Twenty-five families recently attended a foster care information meeting at the Children’s Homes administrative office in Dothan. The gathering was designed to help prospective foster parents understand the process through which they must go to become licensed with the Children’s Homes. Area Director Cecilia Raley and her staff are praying for at least one foster family per church in southeastern Alabama.
Please pray for Dothan houseparent Labron Hawk, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and may undergo surgery and chemotherapy. He and his wife Martha have been with the Children’s Homes for 20 years.
Since last summer, the following people have joined the Children’s Homes staff as relief houseparents in Dothan: Baptist College of Florida students Allan and Melinda Jones; Geneva middle school teacher Jerry Gay; and his wife Lisa Gay, who has a master’s degree in elementary education. The Jones are members of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Dothan, and the Gays are members of Maple Avenue Baptist Church in Geneva.
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