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CHA started Heartstrings Therapeutic Music & Art program in 2021 to help enrich the lives of at-risk children and their families.

Children’s Hope Alliance

Bringing new hope to tomorrow’s kids

by Karel Bond Lucander photography by Jamie Cowles

This summer, Children’s Hope Alliance has offered this program to homeless children in the Iredell-Statesville Schools through halfday summer camps.

Driving near Troutman, have you ever wondered about Barium Springs Home for Children? It was founded in 1891 to help the many orphaned children whose parents had died in epidemics. It began as a small farmhouse next to natural springs. Water from the springs contained Barium and was sold to cure many ailments.

In the early 1900s, several residential homes were built on the property, and in the 1960s, a school building was added. Over time, there were fewer orphans, so parents unable to care for their children sought help here. By the 1990s it became known as “the agency that says yes when other agencies say no.” Helping children in need of specialized care, they still provided group homes for some 175 children.

Grandfather Home for Children in Banner Elk was another facility helping kids. In 2014, the two united to become “Children’s Hope Alliance.” Since 2014, CHA has been helping more children outside of group homes than within. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, their nine group homes in various locations shut down, and the children were transitioned into foster homes. Today, CHA’s in-home and school-based programs serve more children with better outcomes in less time.

“We think it’s best to serve them in a family unit, whether biological or not,” says Sarah Gray, Children’s Hope Alliance chief development officer. “Their families need to be part of the treatment and the therapy.”

For more than a century, this nonprofit has been blessed with hundreds of acres of woodlands. However, with much of it now unused, in March CHA sold about 800 acres of the original Barium Springs parcel along with 475 acres in Banner Elk. According to Celeste Dominguez, CHA president and CEO, “Instead of caring for unused buildings and property, we can turn these assets into resources that work for children and families.” Last year they helped more than 1,800 children in 62 counties. Along with foster care and adoption, their many services include community and educational programs, school partnerships, clinical assessments, and individual and family therapies.

Historic photo of orphans resting in their bedroom at the Barium Springs Home for Children.

community spaces. Little Joe’s Chapel, the Alumni Museum and Heartstrings Therapeutic Music & Art Center will relocate across the street to a newly constructed community complex. By 2030 Children’s Hope Alliance aims to help 20,000 children annually. But to do that, they need more foster families, more volunteers and more donations.

“As we work toward generational change, we are looking for community partners to help us take a stand to prevent the ongoing breakdown of the family system—to help children and families heal together,” Gray says.

Visit www.childrenshopealliance.org or call 704.872.4157 to learn more.

Heartstrings!

CHA’s New Therapeutic Music & Art Program

In 2021, CHA started Heartstrings Therapeutic Music & Art Program to enrich the lives of at-risk children and their families. Students can learn how to play guitar and piano, take voice lessons, and enhance their painting and drawing skills. CHA founded this free program on the belief that music and art help children learn to problem-solve and promote growth and well-being.

This summer, Heartstrings is offering three-week, half-day camps to some 230 homeless children ages 5 and up who attend Iredell-Statesville Schools. These homeless children live in cars, on someone else’s sofa or in area motels.

Working with the Iredell-Statesville Schools, CHA transports the kids from two local motels to the Heartstrings facility. These kids will have an art class, a music class, lunch, and a fun activity, like decorating cookies or making smoothies. Then the Heartstrings staff will take them next door to the parks and rec pool for an hour before returning them to the motels.

As Heartstrings Program Manager Paula Miller says, “I’m really excited about our summer camps! I think this is just the beginning of a wonderful program that we can continue and expand on every year.”

For more about Heartstrings, contact Miller at 704.495.1272.

Back to School Tips for All Ages by Renee Roberson August is upon us, and with that comes the flurry of purchasing back to school supplies, clothing, backpacks, attending open house sessions and talking with your student about what they hope to gain from the coming school year. Whether your child is two years old or 18 or 19, we’ve compiled a few tips to prepare you for academic and socioemotional success.

PresCHooL

The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends preparing your young child in advance for the start of a new routine. In addition to adjusting a new bedtime and wake-up in time before the actual first day of school, leave your child with friends or family for short periods of time so they can get used to spending time away from home in the care of others.

Some books that may help with the transition: Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn When I Miss You by Cornelia Maude Spelman

eLementary sCHooL

Help your child set intentions for the year ahead. Scholastic.com suggests setting a word for each month, for example, friendship or kindness, and use this word at home to start conversations with your student. In addition to working on homework planning, organization, and completion, encourage your child to pursue a passion project to help build excitement around learning (schools and libraries have groups focusing on different topics you can explore for weeks at a time).

middLe sCHooL

This time in your child’s life can be an emotional one, especially if they are moving into a different school than what they were used to in elementary. Know that students explore different types of extracurricular activities in the first year or two, and they may decide an elective or spot is not for them by eighth grade. This is okay. Middle school is a time for changes, as friend groups can shift, evolve and change over time. Check in with your student on their emotional health as often as you ask them about their homework assignments. Let them know you’re there to talk if they need it, or they can always make an appointment with a guidance counselor.

HigH sCHooL

While the thought of entering high school can be overwhelming, it is the perfect time for students to continue trying new things. GreatSchools.org recommends not making decisions based on what other people think or what looks good on a college application—evidence of genuine passion and commitment to any activity is one of the most valuable aspects of admissions criteria. Also recognize that your student may not be interested in a four-year university after high school, so let them explore other options like community college dual enrollment courses, vocational courses and training, and activities like JROTC as part of that exploration.

CoLLege

If you have a student living in a dorm this year, try not to get overwhelmed with all the odds and ends that can go in their room or living space. Pack the essentials, like linens, towels, clothing, organizational items, some mementos from home and know that your student can order the rest (accent furniture, rugs, other accessories) once they figure out what they really need. Make sure they know the basics of how to use the laundry machines and set up a weekly communication agreement (can be as simple as a group text check-in) so your mind will be at ease, and you won’t be worried about calling campus security to check on your student.

Protecting LKN Waterfront Businesses with COMMERCIAL MARINE INSURANCE»

If you are a waterfront business on the lake that deals with docks and watercrafts, be sure to ask about Commercial Marine insurance to make sure your business and operations are properly covered. An enjoyable day on or by the water can quickly turn into an adverse situation resulting in damage or destruction of property and injury. A loss could easily exceed millions of dollars – a risk you must properly address.

MARINE LIABILITY INCLUDING MARINA OPERATOR’S LEGAL LIABILITY:

Property Damage & Bodily Injury: Marina Operator’s Legal Liability may protect you if you become legally obligated to pay damages resulting from your operations as a Marina Operator. This coverage could cover costs from damages to property, such as other people’s boats, equipment, cargo, or other items on the boat, as well as bodily injury to other people, while the watercraft is in your care, custody, and control whether it be for repair, storage, mooring, docking, hauling, or fueling. Dock Property Coverage is a type of insurance that you want to have for losses arising from property damage to your dock, pier, wharfs, or boat slips at your waterfront business. Your needs are unique to your operations, services, and amenities, so it’s important to customize your marina insurance as some of these additional services may require specific insurance coverage.

(704) 875-3060 foglegroup.com

Kim Koone

Commercial Lines Assistant

Kim’s favorite pastime is being out on the lake at Lake Norman. Kim has over 2 years of experience with managing accounts and servicing client needs in Commercial Lines.