As a homeless 12-yearold living out of her family’s truck, Heather wanted nothing more than a place to call  home. After her mother passed away when Heather Reed was 11, her family lost their home in Houston, and her only sibling, an older brother, moved to a ranch near Waco. With nothing left for them in their hometown, Heather and her father moved to Waco.

 

A local church provided support for Heather’s family, and church members assisted with her eventual placement at Methodist Children’s Home in 2000. Heather lived at MCH for almost five years. During that time, she caught up to her grade level in school, having missed a year of formal education prior to coming to MCH, and graduated as the salutatorian of her senior class. Involved in choir, ROTC, youth group and mission trips, Heather became a shining star at school and a beacon of hope to other residents of Methodist Children’s Home.

 

Heather will  graduate from Texas A&M University in May, and she is grateful for the financial assistance she has received from MCH to help with college expenses.

 

“I am thankful for the support of Methodist Children’s Home, not just in my teen years, but also during college,”

Heather said. “I know their support has made the difference.”

 

Making a difference in the lives of children and youth is the mission of Methodist Children’s Home, which serves more than 1,000 children from Texas and New Mexico each day.

 

The 119-year-old child care agency and other residential programs across the country will be recognized by CORE during its first National Residential Education Day on May 6. CORE (Coalition for Residential Education) is a national nonprofit t organization, based in Washington, DC, that promotes residential education programs for economically and socially-disadvantaged youth.

 

“Kids need physical and emotional safety, and they need a quality education,” said Heidi Goldsmith, executive director of CORE. “Ideally, that structure is a good family. But if that is not possible at this point in a child’s life, a well-run RE program can provide for a child’s needs.”

 

MCH receives strong support from CORE. The organization has recently recognized the Home with four awards:

George and Genevie Ratliff, MCH homeparents, 2009 Residential Educators of the Year; Mary Bilheimer, unit manager, 2008 Residential Supervisor of the Year; Kamico Cornelius, a graduate of MCH, 2007 Student of the Year; and Bobby Gilliam, MCH president, 2006 Administrator of the Year.

 

“Methodist Children’s Home is grateful for the support our youth and staff members receive from CORE, and we appreciate their commitment to at-risk children and youth across the country,” said Moe Dozier, vice president for residential services at MCH and a member of CORE’s board of directors. “We enjoy working with other  nationally-known child care agencies that share our commitment to a strength-based approach to child care.”

 

Like many of the children and youth served by Methodist Children’s Home, Heather realizes that MCH played an important role in helping her build a solid foundation for the future.

 

 “I know that I would have made a journey of self-discovery as a teen no matter where I lived, but living at Methodist Children’s Home gave me a way to look at myself through a lens of hope rather than deeply respected spair,” she said.