| Attending-Jane Clark, Richard Gross, Jane Hart, Vicki Hill, Susan Korn, Wendy Waugh Guest: Jeremy Broadhead, guest of Paula Brown, and Neal Covington Speaker: Harriet Covington, Boys and Girls Home Meeting was led by Jane Clark, acting president · PROGRAM: Boys & Girls Homes, Lake Waccamaw, 40 miles west of Wilmington. In 1958 a Civitan followed through on his dream to see “a home built for children who needed a home,” explained Harriet, a 30-year veteran with Civitan who has 12 years on Boys & Girls Homes board. She continues to lead Area IV Civitan in raising awareness of the ongoing needs of the facilities and residents...and their successes. Beginning as an orphanage for boys only, it now houses 80 boys and girls and is known as a campus. Civitan built its first cottage in 1958 – “Civitan Cottage” – and soon other civic groups started building cottages for boys like the Rotary Cottage. The girls’ cottages aren’t sponsored by civic groups. The worse problem Harriett sees is that kids don’t stay long enough at the home to get the boost they need. Consider the challenges they might face if they spend an average of 8 months on campus and during their school years may have been in and out of three schools. Harriet expects that the newcomers to campus will have a higher level of need due to the abusive situation they have experienced at home. Any behavior problems they bring with them are related to their home life; they are not there because of any trouble with the law. · Today there are 5000 children in North Carolina in custody of the local Departments of Social Services. The employees oversee 100 children per day in foster care. Their responsibility for adoption programs has expanded into other counties, and they are seeing an increase in numbers of girls than boys. That and the economy pushed the Boys & Girls Homes to expand their opportunities for girls and also added more wear and tear on the facilities. There are 9 youth per cottage. · The Boys & Girls Homes wants to be an “agent of change.” They want to take a child in a deprived situation and see that his/her needs are met so they can have hopes and dreams. · BGH provides a home for children in between foster care, who are often academically delayed, with no criminal or illegal drug histories. They must be residents and 13 to 19 years old. Some are there because their parental rights have been severed. It provides education to bring a child up to grade level; food; counseling; medical care; spiritual care; supervision. A full-time chaplain, counselors and house parents are on site. · Children are usually behind two years because they lacked support from their parents to get to school or to value school. They usually attend school on site. · Opportunities for youth-World of Work program offers them a chance to work in a greenhouse, learn auto mechanics or woodworking. They use the food grown on campus, receive a salary and learn to account for funds. They also grow and sell pecans. · The Civitan Cottage has not reopened after a complete renovation. The bathrooms were gutted and new cabinets and sturdier furniture are being added. Interviews are in process for house parents. · Opportunities for Civitan-school supplies; Christmas sponsor (apprx $250 raised by the district for one child min.); visit campus Boys & Girls Homes 910-646-3083 bgh-1@bghnc.org www.boysandgirlshomesofnc.com Checks payable to: Boys and Girls Homes Mail to: Boys and Girls Homes PO Box 127 Lake Waccamaw NC 28450-0127 ONGOING & SEASONAL PROJECTS Service Project: Food For All- 3rd Thursdays-Aug 19, 5:30 pm, St. Matthews Church, Hillsborough · For several years, Hillsborough Civitan has adopted the 3rd Thursday every month to provide approx. 150 bagged meals to Hillsborough’s hungry. Other clubs and churches adopt a day so that every Mon-Thurs meals are provided at selected drop off sites as a mission of Neighbor House, a local nonprofit started by former Civitan Ronnie and Sharkita Torain. · What can we do as an individual to donate to this club’s long-term service project? A few dollars, a crate of water, packages of cheese, pre-package carrot sticks, grapes or dessert at home and deliver to site, donate 1.5 hour? Co-chairs Susan Korn and Barbara Mull provide several opportunities for members to participate in supporting this project: (1) donations of funds or a specific food item (2) pick up food items needed to compile the food bags (3) join others in putting together the meal bags and distributing them = Approx. 1.5 hours · Project costs about $150 once a month. Funds are generally covered by donations from the LEADS group, reps from the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. Fundraising Several fundraisers are coming up: fall mum sales, new yard sale and fruit cake sales are returning. Members are needed to adopt Harris Teeters and Lowes groceries, and CVS and Kerr Drugs in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and the outskirts. If we request it, we will get a small profit from fruitcake sales that occur without Civitan support in Wal-Mart’s and Food Lion’s. Before she can order supplies, we need volunteers to adopt a location. A sign-up sheet will be available at the next meeting. Our club has done this project every year except last year when we took a break. Co-chairs: Barbara Mull and Keisha Davis We Need a Secretary Please help your club by volunteering for the secretary position for the 2010-11 year, beginning Oct 1. Updates on Members The Club will send an encouragement card to Keisha Davis. She and her family have taken turns being hospitalized with health concerns for several months. We look forward to having Keisha back at Civitan! REMINDERS · NEW Area IV Civitan Clubs Fundraiser: Members are invited to participate and sell tickets for dinner and a show with Elvis Presley Impersonator Keith Henderson Oct 30 in Roxboro. Tickets $35 each available from Area IV Civitan members or by calling Chuck Gentry 336-597-0860. Funds will support Boys and Girls Homes, Special Olympics and others. More information coming. · NEW Our Board meeting is this Friday, 11:30 at Central Orange Senior Center. · Meals are $10/meeting and must be paid prior to the meal either in cash or a check (preferred). Meal tickets are being phased out. Please see Paula B to pay for your meal. · Quarterly dues are $25 Charter/ $30 regular member. Dues to be paid Jan 1, Apr 1, July 1, Oct 1 · International Convention, Cancun Mexico, 9/3-9/6 · NC District East 45th Annual Meeting, Raleigh, August 27-29. Consists of breakfast, awards ceremony, business meeting, banquet. Members are encouraged to visit other club’s meetings and learn about their projects and operations. Paula, Vicki and Richard have expressed interest. Club will pay registration of club’s representative. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays,Regular meeting, 1 pm, Village Diner, Aug 17, Sept 7, Sept 21 1st Fridays,BOD Meeting, members welcome, 11:30 am, Village Diner SEPT 3 Prepared by Vicki Hill, secretary |
