Tuesday, June 24, 2014

News from Mission of the Holy Spirit

By Keith Josey, Lay Pastor, Mission of the Holy Spirit 
 
Dear Friends in Christ,

I greet you with glad tidings and thank you for all of your support throughout this year. The Mission of the Holy Spirit continues to impact the lives of many families here in Norfolk, Virginia. This is only possible because of contributions from partners like you. "Being the blessing" is what we are called to do in the world and when we live into this, lives are changed. One such life changed is a young man who dropped out of school several years ago, and through the work of the Mission returned to school. He will join our four other seniors who are graduating this June. Also, with the support of Rev. David Davenport, we will baptize twelve new members into the body of Christ.

But, with joy we must endure sorrow. The Mission of the Holy Spirit is a ministry that strives to offer hope and healing for the hurts that bind so many of those in our communities. When you look at our ministry through the lens of trauma, you are better able to understand how we function so differently and why your assistance is so valuable. Recently, we have had to deal with the impact of multiple murders in Norfolk that directly touched our lives. The children from the Mission are greatly affected by trauma in many ways. Through our work at the Mission, these children can get the sense of safety and consistency that they need in their lives. Tough economic times continue to impact how we are able to provide quality services. As summer begins, many of our young people will be in need of new experiences that we will not be able to provide without your help. Each one of you holds the key to turning on that sparkle of joy that our families need. Please consider giving a gift that can help the Mission of the Holy Spirit effectively change lives. Thank you for all that you do!

Click here for more news from Mission of the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Biking for a Better World event to benefit Chanco and Episcopal Relief & Development

Chanco on the James and Episcopal Relief & Development are working together to create a fundraising bike ride event in the Williamsburg area on Saturday, September 13. Registration for the event, called "Biking for a Better World", will begin in early July. Funds raised will benefit Chanco and Episcopal Relief & Development.  

If you are interested in helping to organize the ride please contact The Rev. Keith Emerson (Diocesan Coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development) at keith@saintpauls-suffolk.org.

Monday, June 16, 2014

ECW Scholarships awarded to 13 recipients

This year the Elise Holliday fund produced $10,000 for scholarships to students in our Diocese.We are happy to report that Steven Oakes, St. Aidans, Virgina Beach, was awarded $1,100. Clair Davis of St. Christopher's in Portsmouth, Courtney Hardy of Emmanuel in Hampton,and Robert Schofield of St. Aidan's in Virginia Beach, received $1,050 each. Emily Reed of Eastern Shore Chapel of Virginia Beach, Imari Viney of St. Augustine's in Newport News, Taylor Worrell of St. Luke's in Powhatan, and Owen Wright of Good Shepherd in Richmond received $750 each. Finally Ashley Coles of Grace in Norfolk, Erica Cooke of Emmanuel in Virginia Beach, Wren Thomas, Cabell Thomas and Vincent Thomas all from Good Shepherd in Norfolk, each were awarded $550. Congratulations to all of these promising young people!

Opportunities to support Boys' Home

Do More 24 Fundraiser on June 19

On Thursday, June 19, you have an opportunity to bring forth a positive change in your local community. A fundraising endeavor led by the United Way of the National Capital Area will be taking place, called Do More 24. This fundraising event encourages donors to give to programs that are meaningful to them. Last year's event was able to raise over $1 million which allowed participating programs to address their various needs.

Boys Home will be participating in this online fundraiser. Boys Home is eligible for this program because it serves young men from Virginia, Maryland and the Eastern Seaboard. The Boys Home focus is to help raise funds for summer school and education, summer activities and medical needs. The URL for Boys Home in Do More 24 is http://www.domore24.org/#npo/boys-home-inc or you may call 540-965-7714 for more information. For information on the program itself, visit www.domore24.org. The website will show you how to participate, keep up with the events of the fundraising day.

Tea, Quilt Show and Silent Auction on June 27
On June 27, the public is invited to a tea & quilt show & silent auction. The show will take place at the Boys Home campus from 3 to 5 p.m. This event was organized by Lisa Cole from Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Covington, Boys Home Chaplain Connie Gilman and Sandra Scruggs, Boys Home Development Coordinator. All guests are able to enjoy tea and refreshments, see quilts of all kinds on display. A sample of smaller quilts made for the cottages will be displayed in Whitehead Cottage and take part in a special Longaberger Basket silent auction. One lucky individual will receive a basket as a door prize. A unique quilt handcrafted by Ms. Phyllis Gibson, sister of Boys Home Executive Director Dr. Donnie E. Wheatley is being raffled off. Tickets are going at $5 per ticket or you can get 10 for $45. All proceeds from this event will directly benefit Boys Home of Virginia. The drawing for the quilt will take place during this event.

The quilts that have been given to Boys Home are a wonderful way to personalize the cottages here on campus. Also, these quilts can make each resident's cottage area their own unique space. Piecing together friendships is a theme at Boys Home and quilts are a way to share the warmth and care for others. For tickets or information, contact Boys Home of Virginia at 414 Boys Home Road Covington, VA 24426. You may also call 540-965-7714 or to to www.boyshomeofva.org.

Jackson-Feild Homes: First boys graduate from Gwaltney School

June 6 was a historic day for the Edna Hayden Gwaltney School at Jackson-Feild Homes. For the first time in its history, two boys were among the graduates receiving their degrees. The school began accepting male students in fall of 2012.

The ceremony was held at the Golden Leaf Commons at the Southside Virginia Community College Emporia Campus. Dr. Bill Bowling, Director of Education, presided over the celebration. Local author, Nancy Naigle, served as the commencement speaker. Mrs. Naigle is the author of six novels and suspense stories. Mrs. Naigle has a special place in her heart for Jackson-Feild and the children it serves. Her meaningful and inspirational message of stepping out into the world and embracing a new and exciting future resonated with those in the audience.

Some of the residents received their high school diploma, others received their GED, and a two other students received their Certified Nurse's Aide Certification. The faculty and staff of Gwaltney School did a great job preparing these graduates for this milestone and provided them with the knowledge and skills for future success.

This is the Gwaltney School's seventeenth graduation ceremony with 146 graduates receiving either their high school diploma or their GED.

In honor and recognition of the children's work, an anonymous donor provided a bouquet of roses for each girl, a wallet for each boy, and a gift card for each graduate.

Leadership Program for Musicians enrolling

If you're an experienced musician who wants to learn more about church music, an enthusiastic amateur serving as parish musician, a member of your congregation's worship or music committee, or someone who has always loved church music, there is an incredible resource just waiting for you: The Leadership Program for Musicians.

The Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM) is a nationally recognized two-year continuing education program designed to increase the musical knowledge and skills of all those who lead music in the parish. LPM offers practical courses that give students the tools and resources to help congregations sing well and participate actively in worship. All classes include components of lecture, practical application, reflection and completion of outside assignments, and each course emphasizes theological, musical and pastoral principles.

Whether you're a church music director looking for resources, or a member of the clergy who would like to know more about using liturgical music in worship, LPM has a class for you. Starting this fall, classes offered this year are Leadership of Congregational Song, Hymnody of the Christian Church, Resources for Effective Music Ministry, and Philosophy of Church Music. Classes are taught in Richmond by local, experienced faculty and take place one weekend monthly, in September, October, November, January, and February.

Tuition for a full year of classes is $600 - a fraction of the cost of taking comparable classes at any seminary, and scholarship money is available. Registered students can also attend LPM's spring workshop at no cost.

No matter how long you've been a musician or been involved in church music, LPM has something to teach you. For more information, visit lpm-va.org, or contact Nellwyn Beamon at nbeamon@ascension-norfolk.org.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Boys Home Residents Recognized at 2014 Awards Banquet



Luke Worthington & Mrs. Sammie Brookman
On May 22, Boys Home of Virginia hosted its annual Spring Awards Banquet. Serving as Masters of Ceremonies for the evening were Greg Lemmer, Associate Director and Support Services; Sarah Hundley, Program Director; Jodie Weidman, Boys Home School Director and Janet Lemmer, Development Director. This is a special night for the residents because they are recognized for their accomplishments for the year.   Educators from Boys Home School and Callaghan Elementary, Clifton Middle and Alleghany High Schools were recognized as special guests for the evening. All of these schools serve the young men of Boys Home. A special treat for the event was the performance of “Amazing Grace” by the newly formed four-part vocal group, “The Four Hill-Toppers”. The group is under the direction of houseparent Dennis Fitzgerald. The members of the group are Keondre Carter, Sequoia Nightfeather, Austin Clay & Justin Lee.                                       
 
Stephen Hodges, Tae Kwon Do instructor, handed out the first awards of the night, with certificates of participation for Clifton Woolfrey, Jabaurie Clagon, Johnny Flint, Hunter Wright, Luke Worthington, Keondre Carter, Travis Estes, Justin Lee, Raekwon Kinnard, Logan Flint, Tracy Hall, Shama Baggott, C.J. Calhoun and Liam Hundley. Other athletic awards were given by Dennis Fitzgerald who serves as the head coach of the Boys Home Hilltoppers basketball team. He handed out certificates of participation to Adam Bragg, Blake Groah, Malijah Taylor, Chris Sebina, Amara Kromah and assistant coach Luke Worthington. Fitzgerald also handed out superlative awards. Kromah received a trophy for the best effort. Groah received a trophy as the best offensive player. Taylor received a trophy as the best defensive player. Bragg received honors as the most improved player. Sebina received a trophy for his hustle. Worthington received a special trophy as the Boys Home basketball coach of the year.
           
Mrs. Anita Proffitt handed out awards for the public and Boys Home School students. Starting with the public school students, graduating senior Milliyon Fesseha received certificates for second semester good school citizen and second semester honor roll. B. Pressley, Keith Kakande, Chris Sebina, Amara Kromah and Jabaurie Clagon received a certificate and other prizes for being a good school citizen for the entire school year. Clagon with a GPA of 3.0, Pressley with a GPA of 3.86 and Kromah with a GPA of 3.5 took top honors of having the highest GPA for elementary, middle and high school students respectively. Clagon also took home the prize for first semester honor roll. Sebina and Kakande joined Fesseha for the second semester honor roll award. To conclude the public school awards, Pressley and Kromah received awards for making the honor roll for the entire school year.
           
Donnie Wheatley with Milliyon Fesseha and Memory Remine
The Boys Home School awards showcased the great improvements these students made from the beginning of the school year. Tracy Hall was recognized for making the highest gains in reading level with a 2.42 year gain. Travis Estes was awarded for his 3.81 year gain in math. Along with Estes, Luke Worthington and Ivan Jones were recognized for completing the reading portion of the computer courses. Worthington was recognized for the most points in the accelerated reader program with 195.4 total points, one of the highest in the history of the program at the Boys Home School. Along with prior award winners Hall, Estes and Worthington, these young men were rewarded for making the A/B Honor Roll for the entire year, Johnny Flint, Logan Flint, Austin Hoy, Justin Lee and Malijah Taylor. Estes was recognized as the school’s most improved student. Johnny Flint was the award winner of good school citizen for Boys Home School. The highest GPA’s for the elementary, middle and high school levels went to the following students, Johnny Flint with a  3.68, Estes with a 3.28 and Taylor with a 3.45.  Justin Lee and Keondre Carter received awards for their contributions to the school newspaper, The Home Boys Gazette. Lee also won the top journalist award. Worthington was recognized for winning first place for his Batik in the Covington Women’s Club district art competition.
           
The Development awards were handed out by Sandra Scruggs and Jerome Johnson. The first awards went to those residents who contributed to Boys Home’s newsletter, “The Boys Appeal”. Receiving the editor’s choice award was Logan Flint, Luke Worthington, Chris Sebina, B. Pressley, Keith Kakande, Austin Hoy, Shama Baggott, Justin Lee and Jabaurie Clagon. Worthington and Hoy each won the publisher’s sweepstakes award for turning in the best cottage reports for the newsletter. The golden voice award went to the four young men who performed earlier in the evening, Keondre Carter, Sequoia Nightfeather, Austin Clay and Justin Lee.

Requirements for the senior writer award were to write an essay on the time spent at Boys Home and his future plans. Winning a second place certificate for his essay was Memory Remine. Milliyon Fesseha won first place for his essay. The following residents won the helping hands award for their willingness to help during special events and photo shoots, Justin Lee, Sequoia Nightfeather, Raekwon Kinnard, Keondre Carter, Malijah Taylor, Austin Groah and the entire BSA Troop 66.

Prior to Residential Education Day, Boys Home residents took part in a reading and mileage challenge. The top three winners for total books read were Logan Flint with 36, Tracy Hall with 32 and Luke Worthington with 21 Books. The top three winners for mileage were Ivan Jones with 153 miles logged, Shama Baggott with 125.5 miles logged and Luke Worthington with 118 miles logged. The final development award was the best foot forward award. The two young men who won this award are always ready to help whenever needed with enthusiasm and purpose. They were Adam Bragg and Johnny Flint.

The support services awards were given out by Mrs. Alisa Hayslett. Justin Lee won the award for Tree Farm worker of the year. Abe Ashebir was named the Farm Crew worker of the year. The Grounds Crew worker of the year was broken up into two groups, elementary/middle school and high school. The elementary/middle school winner was Hunter Wright and high school winner was Malijah Taylor. The vo-tech student of the year honor went to Blake Groah.

The named awards were given out by Boys Home Executive Director Dr. Donnie E. Wheatley. Mrs. Sammie Brookman presented the David C. Hall Memorial Award in memory of her brother. The winner of this award personified his never give up attitude. The award went to Luke Worthington.

The Steven Rogers Memorial Award is given to a resident who struggles with difficulties common in young men. Mr. Rogers turned his life around once entering the military and that success continued once he started a career.  Mr. Scott Massey, houseparent and Mr. Rogers’ brother, presented this award to Justin Lee for the progress in his life.

The Barry D. Mays Award was presented to a senior who lived in the Experiential Living Apartment. That individual needed to show the desire and ability to learn and perform skills of self-sufficiency. The winner was Memory Remine.

The 1st Lt. Joshua Charles Hurley Memorial Award was presented by his mother, Christine Hurley. On November 1, 2003, Hurley lost his life while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hurley loved his family, life, friends and serving his country. The winner of this award, Memory Remine wrote an essay on what “service” means to him.
           
The Sam Cunningham Award is an award given to a Boys Home student participating in athletics with a high level of dedication, a positive attitude.  The Donald “Pete” Dimick Memorial Scholarship is the highest sports honor for a Boys Home resident. Mr. Dimick was an outstanding athlete for Boys Home and Covington High School during his time as a resident. The recipient of Mr. Dimick’s scholarship has an all-expenses paid week to a sports camp of their choice. Keith Kakande was the winner of both of these awards.

The Jhakee V. Avant Honorary Scholarship was presented by Jhakee, a recent alumnus, and his mother Mrs. Wanda Avant. This scholarship was established to reward a senior who continually grew as a person, in character and in self-motivation, just as Jhakee did during his time at Boys Home. The Bill & Lang Wilson Scholarship Award was established in recognizing the value of an education and the importance of a “helping hand” in critical junctions of one’s life. It was also established to help promote further education for a graduating senior while supporting Dabney S. Lancaster Community College’s mission. The winner of these two scholarships was Memory Remine.

The Joseph D. & Hilda C. Dent Memorial Award, the Matthew Foster Honorary Scholarship and the Berlin & Frances Lineberry Scholarship were the final three scholarships handed out in the evening. The Dent Memorial Award, presented by Mr. I.B. Dent, is given in memory of long time Boys Home supporters who had a keen interest in education. The Foster Scholarship, presented by his father Terry Emerson, is given in honor of alumnus Matt Foster. He overcame many obstacles during his time as a resident and grew from a rebellious teen to a self-confident young man who turned two years of high school into one to graduate on time.  The Lineberry Scholarship, presented by Berlin and Frances Lineberry, provides for a graduating senior who is pursuing higher education at a vocational or community college. The senior who received these three scholarships was Milliyon Fesseha.

The Think About Contest is intended to stimulate original thought. All participants pick an original quote and write about what it meant to them. Winning third place for his essay on, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference” was Malijah Taylor. The second place winner for his essay on, “Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself” was Sequoia Nightfeather. Winning first place for his essay on, “We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, to learn it is God who is shaking them” was Keondre Carter.

The Tice Environmental Award is one that is presented in recognition of efforts to curb wastefulness, encourage creativity in recycling and to sow seeds of conservation and respect for the things that really matter- God’s creatures, resources and the beauty of the world. The participants completed a required project and wrote an essay about their work explaining what it meant to them. The third place winner for a honey bee environment project was the residents of Watkins Cottage. Taking second place for his recycling project was Austin Groah. The residents of Jack Gordon Cottage were the first place winners for cleaning up the new boat ramp area of the Jackson River.

The Tice Volunteer Contest is intended to help young men develop a sense of selflessness and to encourage them to become a contributor in society. Participants of this contest are required to perform volunteer work and write an essay about what it meant to them to serve others. Chris Sebina won third place for his work and essay on helping a missionary group, mentoring younger Boys Home residents, helping with the Heritage and Chocolate Festivals. Justin Lee won second place for his essay on his work at the Christmas Mother Shop and his work towards his Eagle Scout Badge.  Malijah Taylor took home first place for his essay on working with the Christmas Mother Program, the Cultural Festival and the Pancake Supper at Covington High School.

The final two awards of the night are among the highest of honors for a Boys Home resident. Those awards are the Michael Folland Award and the George Floyd Rogers Award. The Folland award is given to a senior who was voted on by their fellow residents. This award winner shows his fellow residents that he took advantage of his time at Boys Home by working to reach his potential. The George Floyd Rogers Award is named in honor of the Boys Home founder. This honor voted on by staff and presented to the resident who by their spirit, example and overall outstanding citizenship exemplified the ideals of Boys Home and its founder. Graduating seniors Milliyon Fesseha and Memory Remine were co-winners of both awards.

Boys Home of Virginia, founded in 1906, continues to help young men ages 6-18 who have great promise, but limited opportunities.

“A successful man has to start somewhere…
All successful men were once boys. But not all boys become successful men. Sometimes, they’re missing positive role models or a supportive quality of life.
So we provide both…and successful men are the result. Men who will take care of their families. Men who will contribute their gifts. Men who will be role models for the next generation of men.
At Boys Home of Virginia, we show our boys that each day is a step toward that success.”