Searcy Living June/July 2010 Foster Care Issue by Searcy Living

Your Hometown Magazine

SearcyLiving.com

Your Hometown Magazine

Issue № 4 j 2010

Contents

Features Love Me For A Lifetime

Renew Your Strength

Sharing Success

They Chose Me

CASA

The Love Of Miss Stewart

Feeding Your Family On A Budget

Creative Birthdays

Let It Shine

What Happens?

How You Can Help

A BlessingThat Someone Could Not Accept

Don’t Live The Crazy Life

Pictured above: White County Foster Parents Association

Searcy Living • Where You Are Just Like Family

Departments Publisher’s Note

Out & About

All American Citizen

Dinner & A Magazine

Living In Searcy

We The People

Teen Living

Financial Focus

Fashion Fun

Got To Have

Games & Puzzles On the Cover Photo by

Kimberly Brackins 501-279-1515

Out & About

SearcyLiving.com

Publisher Christine Walker Business Manager Paul Parker Art Director & Webmaster Garrett Johnson Graphic Assistant Ikey Ray Customer Service Stephanie McInturff Editorial Assistant Cherie Sewell Makeover Coordinator Christine Locke Contributing Independent Photographers Maggie Hendrix (501) 388-3256 Homan Photography (501) 268-2844 Kimberly Brackins (501) 279-1515 George Dillin (501) 268-9304 Contributing Writers Cecelia Wilson Daniel Torres Ashton Reely Jessica Ardrey

Searcy Living is Locally Owned and Operated 812 South Main Street Searcy, AR 72143 searcyliving@yahoo.com (501) 368-0095 SearcyLiving.com For subscription information go to SearcyLiving.com

Copyright 2010 Shark Promotions LLC. Searcy Living, Cabot Living, and Your Hometown Magazine are trademarks of Shark Promotions. All rights reserved. Ownership, rights, and logos are property of their respected businesses. No part may be reproduced without written permission. Shark Promotions LLC is not responsible for claims, misprints, discrepancies, advice of any kind, or content in advertisements or editorials, but will rectify errors in forthcoming issues. December 2009 - January 2010

CopyrightÂŠ 2010 Shark Promotions LLC

Searcy Living Magazine is a subsidiary of Shark Promotions LLC.

Your Hometown Magazine

Publisher’s Note

The Power of Good I have been putting off this issue for so long. Yes, there are always bits and pieces of this subject in every issue of Searcy Living, but never has there been this much in an issue about it (foster care). Why have I procrastinated for so long? Because I have always been afraid that it will not be perfect enough. Who can ever really tell the thoughts and feelings of so many children? And who am I to decide what is perfect? But, I do have goals. That this community will be full of safe, loving foster homes. That it will provide resources and support for foster homes, resources for foster children, CASA volunteers, and more support from the community for foster parents. That no child will get “lost in the system,” that every child waiting for adoption will be matched with the right family. That the parents who have lost their children and want to get help will have resources that work, not just band-aids and checklists to temporarily fix the problems. And, for those that don’t want help, that their children will heal from that decision. My goal is that we will be a model community for other communities to learn from. A beacon of hope to the lost, the lonely and the forgotten. A place where no child “falls between the cracks.” As foster parents, my husband and I know about situations that would give most people nightmares. One day, I was on my knees and then on my face crying and begging God to save the children who were being abused in the worst ways. And a thought came to me clearly and instantly, “There is nowhere for them to go.” The only way for this to change is for us to come together as a community, not in judgement, but with the hope that we can, in unity, make a difference. The story about my personal journey with foster care is on page 48. Thank you for caring. And thank you for reading Searcy Living.

Sometimes those who rock the boat save the passengers. ~Dave Weinbaum

A Blessing that Someone Could Not Accept

made a blessing that “ God someone could not accept.

Maybe you could accept that blessing. Page 54

”

Be a Leader. Not a Follower.

had no integrity until I got in ROTC. “ II didn’t even know what integrity was. Page 56

What Happens?

”

I knew how a real family was “supposed to be and that gave me hope! ” Page 50

SearcyLiving.com

OUT&ABOUT

“ Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit. ” ~ Vince Lombardi

“ Confidence comes from not always being right - but not fearing to be wrong. ” ~Unknown

10 Your Hometown Magazine

Show your support for life and help raise money at the same time! Purchase an Official Choose Life Arkansas License Plate for the rear of your car. You can obtain one through direct purchase from the Department of Finance and Administration. Let’s make the readership of Searcy Living the BIGGEST supporters for life in the state!

“ Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ”

~ Mark Twain

Find more OUT&ABOUT on SearcyLiving.com! SearcyLiving.com 11

All American Citizen

White County Children’s Safety Center Expands Its Services & Facility The White County Children’s Safety Center has taken the next step in providing services for child abuse victims in moving to a bigger facility. The previous location, provided by Harding University since 2007, was perfect for getting started. The small location offered a warm, home-like setting with many benefits such as: affordability, access to Harding University and a beautifully shaded backyard. “Operating rentfree is a great financial blessing; a benefit of which very few other centers like WCCSC receive,” states Executive Director Robin Connell. With the increase in awareness and services to children came the need for expansion. “National and state grants became available for facility and program expansion. This afforded us the opportunity to add a medical component that was desperately needed in this area,” states Connell, “There was no room in the original location that would accommodate a medical component.” The WCCSC board began looking for an affordable and accessible location to fit its growing needs. The Board began looking for more space and a comfortable, home-like setting with a commercial location. Susan Neaville, with Exit Natural State Realty in Searcy, suggested the Kimberly Brackins Photography Studio located at 501 East Race in Searcy. “With almost double the space, an additional room and bathroom for a medical facility, and a great location, it was a perfect fit for us,” said Connell. The house purchase closed in April, ironically, as that is Child Abuse Awareness month. Within four days everything was moved in and set up and ready for the next child and family. There has been a tremendous amount of support from the community, which has helped to make this leap happen. S & S Security came early to install the camera and video equipment, a priority to the Center’s current level of functioning. Susan Neaville and Exit Natural State Realty donated all of the commission and broker fees to help with the down payment. Connell/Williams Construction replaced the broken front porch, which was paramount in child and family safety. Fantasy Concrete donated free labor to pour a concrete parking area on the side. Lincoln Lawn Care, which had been maintaining the lawn for the former occupants, stepped up and agreed to continue the service as a donation. The Fish Bowl donated a 60 gallon fish tank, which provides a warm greeting to children and families of all ages. The Master Gardeners jumped at the opportunity to restore the flower beds to match the setting and age of the eighty-one year old home. And, an individual donor provided a wall mounted television to fit in the small observation room. A culposcope, which is a special camera used for forensic medical exams of children that are victims of sexual abuse, was purchased with grant money. Adding a medical component will allow children to get local care, rather than having to travel an hour to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for an exam. “We are very blessed to have Dr. Marty Thomas, a pediatrician, as a Medical Director, as well as Juli Lane, an RN, to develop the medical program,” stated Connell. Dr. Thomas has been working with Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Dr. Karen Farst and Dr. Jerry Jones to understand forensic medical exams. Both Farst and Jones are experts in Arkansas regarding child abuse injuries. 12 Your Hometown Magazine

Juli Lane has also been training to receive her SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Practitioner) certification, which will allow her to perform forensic exams on adults and adolescents. Further training and certification will be required for the pediatric exams. When completed, Mrs. Lane will be the only SANE-P in this region of the state. With the help of well trained and supportive staff, our goal is to make the trauma as minimal as possible to the children and families who come to us. The new location will allow an expansion of counseling services, as well. In April, approximately ten therapists were trained in nationally recognized and evidence-based Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), a two-day training course at UAMS sponsored by the AR-Best program. These therapists have had specific training in working with children and families who have experienced a trauma, such as a tornado, the first hand death of a family or friend, domestic violence, and physical or sexual abuse. More information on TF-CBT and the providers in your area can be found at www. uams.edu/arbest. The WCCSC is very fortunate to have so much support from local law enforcement, the Sheriff’s Office, the children and family court system, CASA, DHS’s Division of Children and Family Services, the Prosecuting Attorney’s offices, as well as so many different individuals and organizations. Our support and services are not limited to Searcy. The WCCSC serves all White County communities as well as those in Cleburne, Stone, Independence, Jackson, Izard, Woodruff and northern Lonoke counties. There are so many un-named people and behind-the-scene workers that it would be difficult, at best, to name them all. Suffice it to say that without their efforts, many more children in our community and county would suffer in silence. We need your support as well. If you would like to help us pay off our mortgage or provide needed supplies for our dayto-day operations, please contact us via email at whitecounty_ csc@yahoo.com or check us out at www.whitecountycsc. com. Please help us in our mission to eradicate sexual abuse offenders of any kind, but especially those who target our children.

We would like to specifically thank the following for their time, talents and resources:

Harding University Susan Neaville & Exit Natural State Realty

White County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dept. S&S Security

Quality Office, Inc.

First Community Bank

Connell/ Williams Construction

Searcy Living Magazine

The Fish Bowl Fantasy Concrete Lincoln Lawn Care

Chesapeake Energy Wal-Mart Distribution Searcy Dermatology

Conley Graphics

SearcyLiving.com 13

d nner

& A Magazine

Scarlett says it’s not enough to call these just “Garlic Cheddar Biscuits”… It needs TWO garlics in the name. They really are very good. I serve these instead of French bread when I’m serving an Italian dish and I don’t have enough time to make bread. They’re great with Cheese Ravioli with Flamingo Sauce. I’ve recently tried the ones from Red Lobster that everybody raves about. I say, “Move over Lobster!” These are good enough to eat for breakfast, but your breath will stink all day!!! You’ve been warned.

1 ¾ c. unbleached all purpose flour ¾ tbsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking soda ½ c. finely shredded cheddar cheese 2/3 c. buttermilk ¼ c. canola oil 3 tbsp butter ½ tsp garlic powder

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cheese. Mix well and set aside. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine buttermilk and oil. Meanwhile, combine butter and garlic powder and melt over very low burner or in oven (put butter and garlic in a small metal mixing bowl and set the temp to low until butter melts, then turn heat off and leave it there.)

Apply a thin layer of oil to a shiny baking pan (I use a pizza pan) and set aside. Add buttermilk and oil to dry ingredients all at once and stir just until moistened, adding a little more buttermilk if needed. DO NOT knead the dough as it will make it tough! Spoon out blobs about the size of a regular scoop of ice cream onto the oiled pan then flip each biscuit over so both sides will be oiled.

Bake in a preheated 450° oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush immediately with garlic butter mixture. Serve hot. Oh la la! (This is not a great bread to serve before a date… or maybe it IS if you have a daughter!)

Tanya Turner Leckie’s cookbook, Cartwheels in the Kitchen, is available at Midnight Oil Coffee House, Harding University Bookstore, online at www. heylookicancook.com, and by contacting her at lazydaygourmet@sbcglobal.net.

Online Extra You can find more recipes on

SearcyLiving.com!

14 Your Hometown Magazine

docs

SearcyLiving.com 15

Justin & Sarah Johnson

in Searcy

Written by Cecelia Wilson 16 Your Hometown Magazine

Photography by

live in a beautiful house in Searcy’s Southwind Estates. Along with their two-year-old son, James, the Johnsons share their home with Ernie and Tank, their smooth- and wirehaired dachshunds. Their fenced-in backyard and covered deck provide ample room and reason for family time, and the setting is tranquil, ideal for entertaining young neighbors with similarly aged children. The interior of the home is tastefully decorated in a mix of traditional furnishings with a sprinkling of homage to generations of family that came before. A quick glance confirms first impressions: life is good for this young couple. But, despite all orderly plans one sets into place, life has a way of interjecting a few surprises. The Johnsons have had their share of surprises in the past few years, but they have learned to deal with them admirably with God’s help and they speak of it openly. The Johnson’s comfortable, new home was built by Philpott Builders and is complete with thick crown moldings and unique, elegant touches in each room that drew the Johnsons to purchase the home. Just off the garage and across from an ample utility room, the home’s secluded office takes advantage of an unusual space dilemma to make for a unique area for work. The tiled workspace and cabinetry tie in with the hues in the rest of the house, while the beautiful photos of the Johnsons’ time in Australia remind them of their 3-month trip there while attending Harding University. The house is organized and wellordered. The Johnsons’ life had been as well, until just a few years ago. Determined “not to be one of those people that go to [school] to find a spouse,” Harding University Freshman Sarah (born and raised in Bono, Arkansas) and Sophomore Justin (a Searcy native) did just that! One day, after they had first met at Harding’s gym, Justin told Sarah he wanted to go workout, but his “car was in the shop.” Sarah fell for the bait and offered to give him a ride. Born and bred to a fifth generation farming family, where women drive cars and men drive trucks, true Southerner Sarah confessed to a friend, “He is SO cute, but how can I ever bring a guy home that drives a car?!” Luckily, Justin had used the term “car” loosely. He did drive a truck and, with that “hurdle” cleared, the two began a three-year courtship.

Obviously something clicked and the well-organized pair planned their future out with clarity. The two married, all according to their master plan: after Justin had graduated from Harding University and with Sarah’s graduation only months away. But the best laid plans can be changed by life’s little surprises. The first surprise the Johnsons tackled came just 2½ months into wedded bliss when Sarah learned she was pregnant. While beginning a family wasn’t on their schedule quite so soon, both sides of the Johnsons’ family were excited. This would be the first grandchild for both sets of soon-to-be grandparents, so love was certainly not going to be an issue. The couple, stunned at first with the unexpected news, soon warmed to the idea of an upcoming addition to their family, and they were thrilled to find out that the child Sarah was carrying would be a boy. The birth of their blonde-headed, blue-eyed son James was a monumental event. He weighed in at a respectable 6 lbs. 11 oz., and the new mother remembers breathing a sigh of relief on hearing his first cries. But the otherwise healthy baby boy did have one issue – he was born with a cleft palate. Though James faced surgeries in the coming months, Justin and Sarah were philosophical. “We had no warning, but we were just so glad that he was healthy,” Sarah shares. “He had no problems eating and gaining weight.” That weight gain worked to his advantage since the newborn could not undergo his first surgery until he weighed at least ten pounds. Young James had surgeries at two months

Justin & Sarah Johnson with son James.

Dark wood cabinetry in the kitchen matches the cabinetry in both the master and guest bathrooms.

The macadamia nut hue on the walls is offset by lighter ceilings and compliments the kitchen’s beige variegated granite countertops and tiled backsplash. Deep, rich brown hardwoods cover the floors throughout.

and again at eight months of age at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Both surgeries were successful, but Sarah remembers the anxious moments as her baby was wheeled into the operating room and the bittersweet sight of her son afterward. “Before his first surgery (which ‘zipped up’ the area on his upper lip), James had a huge smile,” Sarah remembers with a smile of her own. Though he lost that original smile, James’ swollen face soon became less puffy and a new, familiar smile took its place. The second surgery at eight months to correct his palate was more intense, lasting between three and four hours. Nerves and anticipation aside, the Johnsons persevered with the help of their faith, their parents, the staff at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and, most especially, Dr. Lisa Buckmiller. But, it also helped that they had each other. Granted, the surprises Justin and Sarah have faced have not been easy ones. James will need speech therapy, regular checkups both at Searcy’s Pediatric Therapy Associates and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and potential orthodontics work as he grows older. But, with those trials have come moments of strength and advantage. It was necessary that James never have a pacifier and he had to be taken completely off a bottle once his second surgery was complete. Two issues that many parents have major issues with, the Johnsons simply bypassed. Facing medical issues with their son has taught Justin and Sarah what matters most in life and provided a new inner strength. James’ condition could have been much worse and the active, talkative two-year-old running around the Johnson home today reminds them both that you don’t sweat the small stuff, but roll with the punches. There is a lovely sepia photograph of Justin and Sarah hanging in their bedroom. They are standing close together, underneath an umbrella. It sums up their marriage, as it should all marriages. After all, there are going to be rainy days, but together you can withstand the storm. As they have already discovered, it has been an eventful married life to date and who knows what is around the corner? But life is good: a beautiful home, a strong marriage, a shared faith and a precious son who has no hesitation in speaking to any guest that comes through the door. “We had an ultimate plan in our mind [for our lives],” Sarah says with a laugh. “But we soon found out it is God’s ultimate plan and we just run with it.” There may be speech therapy in James’ future, but you’ll find this toddler has plenty to say. And, frankly speaking, a lot can be learned by listening. SearcyLiving.com 17

Off-white carpeting tickles the toes of toddler James in his bedroom. The young boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room has a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and double closets, just right for clothes and toys. His Baby Appleseed bed has already been converted from a crib to a toddler bed and will convert again all too soon as he matures into school-age and beyond.

The master bedroom boasts a king-size bed, with that same rich brown in the headboard and footboard and with black leather accents, situated beneath a tray ceiling and fan which is standard in most Philpott Builder homes. The master bathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jacuzzi and shower beckon after a long day.

18 Your Hometown Magazine

SearcyLiving.com 19

“a quick glance confirms...

life is good”

The formality of the dark leather and wood furnishings in the house are offset by sentimental antique pieces: a glassed bookcase was Sarah’s grandmother’s from her days working for Congressman Bill Alexander, a distressed black dresser originally sat in Sarah’s great-grandmother’s basement and then her grandmother’s back porch, and a 100+ year-old shelf and hutch painted blue was passed down from her great-great-grandmother. The nod to family personalizes many of the couple’s rooms and the familial influence is even witnessed in the hand-sewn pillows and décor, a talent Sarah inherited from her maternal predecessors.

20 Your Hometown Magazine

Online Extra Go to SearcyLiving.com to see more home galleries!

www.SearcyLiving.com A special thank you to the Johnson family for allowing Searcy Living to feature their home at OUR request. We enjoy bringing you decorating ideas and family stories in every issue from your friends, family and neighbors.

SearcyLiving.com 21

We the People Student Artist

Sidney Deener Elementary congratulates Katelyn Mazor for being our “Student Artist.” Katelyn is a 1st grader in Mrs. Lindsay Wilson’s class.

My name is Jordan Sullivan and I just graduated cosmetology school in March. I had to wait until April to take my state boards and in that same week I competed in a runway show at the Discover Hair Show in St Louis. I chose my model (Shannon Guthrie) who was also going to school for cosmetology.

Thank you Scott Dicus for sharing this photo of a squirrel fish taken in Cozumel on a dive trip.

Searcians enjoying World Fest 2010 at Silver Dollar City in Branson.

Since I like high fashion looks, I chose avant garde. The rules said you had to put together a look that would be considered to be avant garde by doing her hair, makeup, and nails. You would be judged accordingly. The Discover Show is sponsored by State Beauty Supply and it’s one of the biggest in the nation. I placed second in the event. (Avant Garde; The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.)

Linda Lee, Irene Gray and Kathy Page under one of the special 50th birthday logos at SDC.

Irene Gray and Kathy Page with one of the greeters upon arrival at Silver Dollar City in Branson.

22 Your Hometown Magazine

Helping the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique Class from Liberty Christian

The Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique is simply a room in the Searcy Living business office that we have dedicated to house donations from people in the community for the foster children. DHS case workers and foster parents are free to pick up whatever they need (if we have it) for foster children.

Recently this class from Liberty Christian School donated much needed items such as clothing, shampoo and diaper rash cream. Thank you so much to these kind hearted children for helping. Go RAMS! For more information go to SearcyLiving.com

SearcyLiving.com 23

We the People

The Searcy Youth Trap Shooting Team made it to a regional shoot in Lonoke held at the Remington Gun Club.

The Philpott Builders won 2nd place in the U10 Searcy Youth Soccer League

Searcy High School Dance Team has been selected for next school year. Under the skilled direction of Debbie Paxton, an experience dance instructor, these exceptionally talented ladies have already begun preparing for a great upcoming school year. Keep your eyes out for them to perform at future school events and around the community!

A special thank you to Miguel Espina and Olga Kuprashvili. The story in the last issue about Miguel and his fiancée Olga received a lot of compliments. Our readers have been accustomed to Miguel’s delicious recipes featured throughout the past few issues of Searcy Living and were thrilled to hear some of the history and experiences of Miguel’s life that were a part of his journey to collecting these fine dishes. We have had numerous requests for more of his recipes, so go to SearcyLiving. com and look in future issues of the magazine. 24 Your Hometown Magazine

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~Oscar Wilde

Any place that we love becomes our world.

for The Many Faces of Foster Care Most of us like to think of ourselves as pretty good judges of character. We like to believe we can tell when something is wrong. In 2006, one in every 58 children was abused in the United States alone. Since then, the numbers have gone up, and that’s with the majority of cases going unreported. Maybe we’re not as good at this judgment thing as we thought. The children who are lucky enough to be taken out of those abusive situations are then faced with another major disruption. They are taken into the state’s custody and slip into a sort of limbo where they have no place to go, nothing familiar. 26 Your Hometown Magazine

“Kids shouldn’t be left to the state. They’re not very good at raising children,” says Lori Sansom, a worker for CASA, an organization that trains people to serve as a go-between for the juvenile court judge on behalf of a foster child. There are people who dedicate their lives to the never-ending struggle to put the pieces of a life back together. There are people who give fundamental needs to any broken soul who walks through their door. There are people who open their hearts and their homes to lost children. Foster parents are these kids’ saving grace. “I think it’s probably one of the truest

Let the weak be strong.

by Jessica Ardrey • Photography by Kimberly Brackins

forms of picking up your cross and following Jesus,” says foster parent Lola Philpott. “You’re putting yourself last for kids you don’t know, that aren’t family and not anybody you would ordinarily care for. It’s having to get out of your comfort zone and be responsible at the same time; and it’s hard to do that. And by the way, lets not forget who raised Jesus. He was raised by Mary and Joseph, not his “biological dad.” Fostering often proves to be generational. If a child sees his parents take in children, he is more apt to do the same with his own family one day. As his parents lived life as a positive

example, so will he. Philpott is already seeing signs of this in her young children. “Right after we got our first foster kid, my daughter was playing house with her friends. She brought out her dolls and told me which ones she gave birth to, which ones were foster kids and which ones were adopted. It’s her norm,” says Philpott. Although area fostering and adopting families go above and beyond expectation, there are over 3,000 children in foster care in Arkansas, and only about 950 families available to help those children (only 28 foster homes in White County). One SearcyLiving.com 27

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.

~Haim Ginott

[Up for adoption currently] When asked why they want to be adopted, sister and brother (Hailey and Alex) answered

We just want to be loved and be part of a family. ,

For more information on adopting Hailey and Alex contact their CASA coordinator Kim Wilson at 501-305-3428

faith-based organization is working to diminish those numbers and get more families involved in the effort to give children a home. The CALL (Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime) is a group of volunteers that actively recruits families for this need. The organization provides training for those interested in foster care and adoption. It also includes multiple volunteer opportunities, such as babysitting, mentoring, fundraising, office work and facilitating support groups. But like foster parent Ashley Bayne says, “For years I have heard people say, ‘When is the CALL coming to White County?’ But the CALL is not some magical organization that rides into town to save the day. The CALL is a program that everyday people like you and I step up and volunteer for. At the end of the day, the CALL is you and me.”

“ ...my daughter was playing

house with her friends. She brought out her dolls and told me which ones she gave birth to, which ones were foster kids and which ones were adopted. It’s her norm. ~ Lola Philpott

”

The CALL is a program that is spreading the message that despite where your talents lie, if you have a passion for helping kids, there’s always a way to help and nothing should stand in your way. “These programs (CASA, The CALL) are great,” says foster parent Gena Glenn. “The people at CASA are definitely advocates for the kids when they don’t feel like they’re being heard. CASA gives them a voice. And with the CALL, it speeds up the process of getting more families to open as foster homes.” Foster parent Chrissy Shepard who is a local volunteer for the CALL shares, “No child taken into foster care is given the Q. If I become a foster parent, do I have to take any child they call me about? A. No. You are the boss in this situation. You are given the background information of that child and you decide if this child will benefit from your family’s atmosphere. If you feel you need to say no, that is ok. If we can resolve the foster home shortage, then we can hope that there will eventually be a perfect fit (foster home) for every child.

28 Your Hometown Magazine

luxury of choosing if this is the right time in their life to be removed from their home, family, school, and comfort zone. We need to step out of our own comfort zones and recognize that these homeless children need a home, big or small; a family, with or without siblings of all ages; and parents who can teach responsibility through working and contributing to society. Many are quick to rally to help a child in a country that has been through a natural disaster [and that is a great thing]. But few are ready to acknowledge the need of the child next door going through a life disaster not of their own doing. Being a foster family isn’t always easy or convenient, but it is always worth it. It’s about the children in need of a chance and an opportunity that so many can provide if they just realize how very little it takes to meet these needs.” For the person who wants to help, but isn’t sure if they’re called to be a foster parent, there are other ways to serve. Area churches in Searcy work with the White County Foster Parents Association and host many volunteer opportunities [for example] at the First Baptist Church, they plan date nights for foster parents, meetings and trainings, all of which are open to the community to lend a hand in any way. “That’s the link,” says Nita Cochran, executive director for CASA. “We’re all trying to meet the needs of children. There’s no competition. We need a hand, a foot, an eye to make a body.” Despite all this, people are still afraid to get involved. They have worries and doubts, which are normal, but most of them seem trivial when faced with the reality of an abused or neglected child. “People will tell me they’re afraid they’ll get too attached, but that’s foster care,” says Glenn. Some parents are concerned about the effect foster children would have on their own children, but Philpott claims it should be the other way around. She believes that if she raises her kids the best way she knows how, her family and her beliefs will positively influence everyone that comes in her house. It’s work, but it’s worth it. “Even now, at the age of nine, as far as my daughter’s concerned, everybody fosters. Surely everybody helps kids, don’t they?” If you would like more information on volunteering or becoming a foster parent, please fill out the form on page 52.

As a foster parent, what do I want people to understand? “Sometimes people will make a statement such as, “How do you stand that child’s behavior?” [Yet] their own biological children fall short in the behavior category as well. Heck, I have bad days as well. We all do.” ~Amanda Busbea, adoptive and foster parent

Q. I don’t know if this time of my life is the right time. Should I wait until my children are older? Maybe when we have a larger home? When my work life is not so busy? A. If you feel like you are called to do this, but you want to wait for the “perfect” time, will it ever be the perfect time?

I was just going to foster one time. That was three years ago and I am still fostering today. However, I have learned that it is ok to take a break when you need one. I have grown as a person because of foster parenting. ~Carol Tripp, foster parent

“We have been blessed to have been able to watch our child grow in empathy, sympathy, and understanding for others, as a direct result of his interaction with the children who have been in our home. We are, however, very cautious with how each situation affects our own child. The following guidelines have helped our son to feel like he is part of the team and not just a spectator: • We only have foster children in our home that are younger than our child. • We do not have any additional children in our child’s room (so that our child has a place that is only his). • We work to keep an open dialogue with our child about who comes into our home, what he needs, and how he is feeling. • We have been very deliberate about spending one-on-one time with him.

Dashawn (top) and Trey are brothers forever.

“ Trey told us from the time he was four that he wanted

a brother. Different foster children came into our home for short amounts of time while we helped them to heal. But Dashawn was different in that (Trey) always knew that Dashawn was his forever brother.” ~ Charles & Gena Glenn

Q. What if I get attached? A. “You probably are already attached to a child that does not legally belong to you... the child of a relative, of a friend, of a co-worker, your neighbor, or even a child that you have spent time with at church. The children that come into foster care are like the children that you are already attached to, except that many of them have never experienced the “no holds barred, I love you no matter what” kind of love that every child deserves and craves. Yes, the goal with the children in foster care is to allow them to return to a safe environment with their families, and yes it often breaks your heart, but it’s nothing compared to hearing a child say, “I know I’m loved, I know someone cares, because they tell me.” Loving a child and letting him or her “go” is something that every parent has to do. Our goal as parents is to teach our children how to love, how to be loved, and how to be productive members of society. As foster parents you not only touch the life of a child, but quite often you also impact the entire family.”

Even with all this said, the foster children that come into our home become part of our family, and everyone acts like a family. Some days everyone gets along, and some days everyone is fighting like “brothers and brothers” or “sisters and sisters” or “brothers and sisters.” ~Shawn and Chasity Moeller, foster parents

Q. What if I get attached? A. Yes, you will get attached; it is impossible not to. Attachment is what these children need. They need someone to love them with all they’ve got. We try to remember that yes, it hurts us when they leave; but it is not about us. It is about the children and what they need. ~ Matt and Candy Gale, foster parents

“My adopted daughter was a foster baby who came into foster care having been abused [very] badly. Her birth mother [among other things] had stabbed the bottom of her feet with ice-picks (while on meth). My baby just needed a place to rest. A place to lay her beautiful head. She is a beautiful girl who makes straight A’s in school and I am so proud of her. She is my sunshine.” ~ Amanda Busbea, adoptive and foster parent

~Shawn and Chasity Moeller, foster parents

White County Foster Parents Association

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~Stacia Tauscher

“We have found that our children feel a part of what we are doing. It has been explained to them that these children are in need of a loving family and God would like us to help. That seems to give our children an understanding. When a family is working together as a team, no one feels left out.” ~ Matt and Candy Gale, foster parents

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.

Q. What if it affects my biological children in a negative way? Will they feel left out?

Q. The 1# question of the day is: What if I get attached?

The more you love, the more you are given to love with.

~ Lucien Price

First of all, please do not make this statement to most foster parents. It will usually evoke irritation or laughter (We hear it everyday). Here are several answers to this all time popular question: • If you think you will get attached, then you would make a great foster parent. (In all honesty here, what kind of foster parents do you think make good foster parents? People who don’t care? Sounds a little ridiculous when you think about it in that light.) • Be realistic. There are some children who are ready to go home. Home is now a safe place, and you will be happy to see them go home if it is what is best for them. When you really love someone, don’t you naturally want what is best for them? • Sometimes you will cry. • Most of the time you are able to keep in touch with former foster children. (Early this summer one of our former foster children flew in from another state to visit with us. Our foster children are always a part of our family and they are always welcome with open arms to come “home” for a visit. When they move on, that does not always mean the door is closed for you to be a part of their life.) • It is not about you. But yes, it does hurt. • There are times when a child is returned home and it is not the appropriate or safe thing to happen. You may be the only person in the child’s life that understands that. You may be the only person that is praying for them. ~Christine Walker, foster parent

Q. My biological children are involved in sports and other extra-curicular activities. Will I really have time?

An active home with normal things that most children are accustomed to doing is the exact kind of home that benefits foster children the most. These children don’t even realize (most of the time) that families do fun things together. Remember, their world wasn’t like that. So, if anyone is questioning whether to foster or not based on their busy schedule, think of it as an advantage to the little lives you will be trying to positively affect. The few months they spend in your life, witnessing the way a “real” family should interact may just be the few months that will change their lives forever. After returning home or onto the next home, they may want to pattern their own future family time the way that you have shown them to do. Breaking that vicious cycle. What an honor to think that you could have that kind of affect on a child!! ~Karen Churchwell -Adoptive parent and former foster parent

“If our American

way of life fails the child, it fails us all. ” ~ Pearl S. Buck

John, Presley (middle), and Addy

Presley kept praying for a sister and then a brother. John (adopted out of foster care at age 12) and Addy (adopted out of foster care as a baby) had an unsure future until David and Lola Philpott started foster parenting and then decided to adopt. John, Presley and Addy were always meant to be siblings. It just took a little prayer for John and Addy to find their way home.

“ It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” ~ Frederick Douglass

Pictured in front of the American Family Association (LtoR) Penny McGlawn, Ashley Bayne, Lola Philpott and Christine Walker.

On February 1st of this year, these ladies had the privilege to speak on Todays Issues on American Family Radio about the importance of foster care in every community. They shared their thoughts, feelings and personal stories. This trip to Tupelo proved to be very productive in getting the word out, as the program was simulcast on over 200 stations nationwide. To download the podcast, go to Itunes® and search Todays Issues (American Family Radio). Download February 1st, 2010.

If you have heard the CALL, please fill out the form on page 52. 30 Your Hometown Magazine

SearcyLiving.com 31

Your The Story of Soaring Wings Ranch

From all outward appearances, the 16-year-old girl living at Soaring Wings Ranch is no different than most other high school students. Personable, studious and well-behaved, there is nothing in her demeanor that would hint at the turmoil she has lived through. Before residing at the ranch, she came from an abusive situation ripe with neglect. In fact, Founder and Executive Director Andrew Watson adds, “On paper, it seemed a stretch to bring her in. She has seen more than most adults have seen in a lifetime.” It is, then, an amazing turnaround to hear her describe her desire to become a counselor in order to help others conquer the pain she has so successfully conquered. She leads Bible studies among the girls with whom she now lives, and report cards that were once marked with D’s, currently boast A’s, B’s and an occasional C. She has flourished and, as Watson notes, “Her whole countenance has changed.” And an integral element of that inspiring transformation is a young woman who now believes that God is first in her life. Touching young lives and mentoring them for a brighter future is what living at Soaring Wings is all about. It is more, though, than a safe haven from an otherwise unhealthy environment. Two sets of house parents and their own families live on the ranch and welcome 6- to 18-year-olds into stable, disciplined homes. The interaction between the families and the children who come to live at the ranch is designed to make for a grounded foundation. No clinical disconnect, no sterile institutionalization. Instead, the rural setting is enhanced by moral and religious values in a warm, loving family environment. The house parents do not rotate in and out of the ranch, they each feel led to be “parents” for these youngsters and to be those parental figures for more than a short-term period. “Our house parents truly feel called to be missionaries and invest their lives to this cause,” Director Watson relates. Through DHS, schools, pastors or families in need, children are referred to Soaring Wings. Many children come to the ranch when parental rights are revoked. Christian counseling, and being active in a local church, is a part of weekly life on the ranch. The goal in mind for each child is to train them to become more – to help them step up to a higher level in life and become leaders. With that in mind, on a monthly basis each ranch family looks for opportunities in community volunteerism through soup kitchens, food pantries or any other way possible. They attend the public school system and are taught from day one that it is “not about getting, but what you can give.” Several children are also brought into homes of couples inside the community for one weekend a month and a week at Christmas as a means of building relationships with people they can stay connected to not only during their time at the ranch, but throughout the rest of their lives. The bonds built with the extended families operate much like an aunt and uncle would and are meant to become lifelong sources of emotional love and support. 32 Your Hometown Magazine

By: Cecelia Wilson

Andrew Watson, his wife and two young children are proud to be a part of such a meaningful cause. Their intent is not to babysit a child through troubling times, but to instill, motivate, teach and watch them grow into responsible citizens despite their past issues. It is a source of great pride to know that they have helped make a substantial difference in the life of a child with God’s assistance. But, the beginning of Soaring Wings Ranch was anything but assured. A native of Searcy and a graduate of Bald Knob High, Andrew went on to earn a degree in Sociology from the University of Central Arkansas. After college, he attended Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his Masters degree in Christian Education with emphasis in students. After training 1½ years as relief house parents at Big Oak Ranch in Gadsden, Alabama, he and his wife, Marla, returned home with a dream to build a similar ranch in Arkansas. But with a bank account of only $800, the dream seemed more impossible than plausible. Land was located in central Arkansas with an asking price of $430,000. A small group of devoted believers in the project donated $30,000 for a down payment, leaving the group 18 months to purchase the land outright. With the deadline looming, $150,000 was still left to be raised during the final week. Amazingly, money began flowing in the last few days and, on the final weekend, a mere $15,760 of the original $430,000 was outstanding. That Saturday, the phone rang and a donor who had already given twice before asked Watson if the land had been purchased. When the donor heard the deficit, a cashier’s check was cut and it was official – the land was ready to become something much more. Ross Ridout and the Ridout family donated all materials for the first home to be built on the site, allowing construction to begin in 2006. Of course, facilities also require infrastructure such as utilities and roads, but the 195 acre ranch was well on its way to being a working ranch, leaving plenty of room for growth. By August 1, 2007, the ranch opened its doors. Currently, with one home for boys and another for girls, the ranch also has a log cabin for guests and family counseling, a commissary which houses food and clothing donations, and a small office. The land provides ample open space and chores for each child, fostering a positive work ethic and self-esteem in a job well done. Phase II of the project will include the building of a Welcome Center featuring a learning/counseling center which will become the hub of the ranch. Two more homes are also slated for construction. Ultimately, hopes are for up to 10 homes in the rural setting serving up to 80 children. Support comes to the ranch by various means. The ranch asks for the prayers of those interested in the lives of the young people living at Soaring Wings Ranch. Private donors comprise the bulk of the operating budget. It is an arrangement that has met the ranch’s financial obligations to date in the form of monthly support, cash donations, memorials and honorariums. Charitable Remainder Trusts, gifts of personal residences, commercial and

rental properties and life insurance and retirement plans are also suggested means of donating to the ranch and its work. While additional funds are always needed as the ranch continues to foster growth, Andrew Watson is confident in their flow of funds, “We believe that God’s people have the resources to take care of God’s children.” Before the ranch was a reality, Director Watson was grabbing breakfast one morning. He happened to sit at a table on which a single piece of paper lay undisturbed. He reached for the paper and read the words on its surface, knowing immediately he had found the name for this dream: ...even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. — Isaiah 40:30-31

Soaring Wings Ranch has been aptly named and that little scrap of text is still in Watson’s possession. When the new Welcome Center is complete, he plans to have the verse framed and hung for everyone to see. From $800 and a section of scripture, a vision was launched. And, through the years, as each child passes through the ranch and stretches their wings, they truly will soar on wings like eagles. For more information, to contribute to the ranch or to ask Andrew Watson to speak to your group (whether in a public venue or a private setting for your family or friends), please contact Soaring Wings. Go to SearcyLiving.com for a link to the website. Soaring Wings Ranch is located about 20 minutes from Rosebud.

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Sharing SUCCESS By Mary Ann Arnett

For many years I was uncomfortable meeting new people. My husband Boyce has lived his entire life within a fifty-mile radius of our present home in Searcy. When people inevitably asked if I was from Arkansas, too, my response to the question was usually brief: “No, I am a transplant from Tennessee.” As most Arkansans have relatives somewhere in Tennessee, the next question was “Where in Tennessee?” That was when my hands started sweating. My response was usually, “My family is from Chattanooga, but I grew up in middle Tennessee.” Then the person’s relatives would come to mind and they would ask, “Do you know where Hohenwald (or some other hole in the wall) is located?“ At this point I wanted to hand out a written script of my troubled childhood. I grew up at a children’s home in Spring Hill, Tennessee. My mother and father were divorced in 1952, and my maternal grandfather and my mother brought my three siblings and me to be wards of Tennessee Orphan’s Home. At the age of twelve, my sister “Bizzy” was accepted even though she exceeded the normal age qualifications. Marty, my older brother, was ten, still not the ideal age for molding. I, Mary Ann, was almost six, and my younger brother David was around two, still taking a bottle. Back then, no government welfare system like Medicaid existed to help our mother care for four children. My life truly began at TOH. I have few memories before I came to live at the home. We two younger children adjusted easily to strangers as parental caregivers. The dormitory lifestyle became the norm for me very quickly. We got up at 5:30 a.m., made our beds, dressed for school, and were in the cafeteria for breakfast by 6:30 am. We walked to public school, which at the time included grades K-12. I was a quiet student and not a problem, but I did suck my thumb. My sixth grade teacher cured me of the habit by correcting me in front of my peers and making me write 500 times “I will not suck my thumb in class.” 34 Your Hometown Magazine

At the children’s home, r o u t i n e scheduling was very much a part of our lives. We knew the time of day when a huge outdoor bell would ring, and we knew where we were supposed to be when the bell would strike. Our lives were dictated by the ringing of that bell. After school we had a piece of fruit for a snack, played outside on playground equipment, and maybe watched cartoons on television. I cannot remember not having a television, but I do recall that as teens we were never allowed to watch American Bandstand. (It might tempt us to want to dance!) Promptly at 5:00 we had chapel in our dormitory for 30 minutes. It seemed that we memorized most of the Bible. In the twelve years I took pride in my memory work, which was easy for me. All the children memorized scriptures, and we went on “Sunday trips” to different churches where some of the boys would preach and lead singing and the rest of us would recite scripture. This demonstration showed churches how the children at the orphan’s home were being taught and was also an encouragement for fundraising. We ate our evening meal in the cafeteria. Although we could see our birth brothers or sisters from across a room, we had to eat with our dormitory group. The older girls cleaned the dishes. We had free time that could have been used for homework, but I was usually not motivated in that direction. Bathing was done at night, and we were in bed by 8:00-8:30.

Mary Ann Today

Looking back, I see that the structured life and daily routine gave me a sense of stability. Many homeless children in today’s world do not have that security. Today children are taken from abusive parents, placed in foster care for a time and then returned to the same homes where abuse or neglect occurred. Although I had come from a troubled situation, at the children’s home I never worried about necessities like my next meal or having clean, ironed clothes. We had matrons in each dormitory of twelve to fourteen girls. The boys lived in dormitories across the campus. I remember that all the children were treated equally, but my sister still claims that I was a favorite of the matrons. That probably occurred because I quietly sucked my thumb until I was twelve and caused no trouble! Although we lived in separate dormitories, we were all safe and somewhat together. We could feel secure and sleep peacefully. Twenty years later, my older brother Marty remarked that things could have been much worse for us. We could have been raised in South St Elmo (Chattanooga.) I tend to agree with his assessment for our lot in life. Our superintendents, the Richters, were a great influence in my life. Mama and Daddy Boos, as we called them, were my parents for twelve years. They taught me work ethics, moral standards, and good decision-making skills for life. Some lessons were learned by example and some by simple words of wisdom. They also never spoke ill of our parents, even though they probably knew our parents’ stories better than we did. If our parents disappointed us, Mama Boos would say in her beautiful Southern drawl, “Honey, life’s too short to hold grudges” or “Child,

A picture of our family after a year or so at Tennessee Orphans Home, Spring Hill, Tennessee, supported by churches of Christ, Pictured are the following: our mother is in the center, L to R: David Craig Holder, George Martin Holder “Marty,” Myrtle Elizabeth “Bizzy” Holder and Mary Ann Holder Arnett.

Harding University recently donated two copies of Mary Ann (Holder) Arnett’s “Kids From the Home” to the Brackett Library in honor of Harding Alumni who were former residents of the Tennessee Orphans/Children’s Home. The students honored are listed on the inside front covers of the books shelved at the library. Pictured are the following: Ann Dixon, Head Librarian; Mel Samson, HU Vice President of Finance; Bill Alsup, Tennessee Children’s Home Director of Development; and Mary Ann (Holder) Arnett, author.

you have to grow where you’re planted.” Then we would weed her prize Irish bed. Mama Boos is still living in Nashville at the age of 93. Being a kid from “the home” was a normal life for the 180 children who were my brothers and sisters at the time. The home offered each child the opportunity to continue your education after high school. I chose to attend Harding University where I met Boyce. We had our wedding at the Spring Hill Church of Christ, my home congregation, and the home paid the expenses. Boyce and I have two children: Jan attended SHS and graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Our son Jon attended Harding Academy and graduated from Harding University. Ironically, my daughter and her family live in Chattanooga, where I was born. Childcare and foster care hold a special place in my heart. In this imperfect world, there will always be homeless, neglected children in need. We as citizens must remember that it is not the fault of the children. They do not choose their lot in life. They may not be true orphans, but they are orphaned by society. I have chosen to work for children in foster care locally through Searcy Children’s Home and for the Tennessee Children’s Home, where I lived, serving on the board of trustees for both childcare facilities. About two years ago I was asked to compile a historical book celebrating 100 years of childcare for the Tennessee Children’s Home, from 1909-2009. The book contains life stories from former residents as well as a history of the home. As a member of the board of trustees and a former resident, I was honored to accept the challenge. (continued)

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Kids From The Home, compiled by Mary Ann (Holder) Arnett, contains life stories from former residents of the Tennessee Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home as well as a history.

During 2009, I traveled the state of Tennessee signing numbered, limited edition copies of Kids From the Home, A History of the Tennessee Orphan Home/Tennessee Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home.I met or renewed friendships with former residents, friends, and total strangers with various connections with the 100-year-old institution. Some were even searching for lost family members. The records room at the home was available to me and helpful in uniting our TOH family members and in locating some who were longing to be found. Harding University dedicated two copies to the Brackett Library in honor of the Harding Alumni who were former

36 Your Hometown Magazine

residents of TOH/TCH. The TOH/TCH students are listed on the inside covers of the books that are shelved at the library. Above all, it was my goal that this historical collection of personal stories would bring peaceful closure and pride to the former residents of the home, many of whom were less than satisfied with their lot in life. As children, we had no choice but to accept our new home. As adults, time, prayer, and the spiritual support of our friends, families, and counselors have helped many of us gain a healthy perspective on our days in institutional childcare. It is therapeutic to remember the good and smile. . . because we did have good times.

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Adopted out of foster care, Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first lady shares her story. 38 Your Hometown Magazine

By: Cecelia Wilson orn in Little Rock, she was given up for adoption by her biological parents and, by the time she was four years old, she had been in and out of several foster homes. Thankfully, the fleeting memories she has of those homes were pleasant. Despite being past what most people might consider the “optimum age” to adopt, the four-year-old was adopted by a couple who had already opened up their hearts and their home to another adopted daughter twelve years earlier. Buell and Virginia Croom lived in Searcy with their 12-year-old adopted daughter Jean and were eager to expand their family by adding another little girl. Little did they know their youngest daughter would one day be Arkansas’ First Lady, Ginger Beebe. Buell Croom was a big man, a deacon in his church and an avid fisherman. He was a hard worker who worked just as hard as a church member as he did in his business. His wife, Virginia, was his match in being active in church life. It was, perhaps, her love for volunteering, working the election polls and being an advocate for the community that left a lasting legacy for her daughters. While their lives were already full, the couple no doubt felt a part of their life was incomplete. Adoption brought a joy to their lives that completed their family, and it did so twice. For the Crooms, Ginger was simply “their” child. Like so many adoptive parents, they could have wanted an infant rather than an older child; they could have wanted a boy since they already had a girl. But, they didn’t. “I feel so very fortunate,” the First Lady says with a smile. “They wanted [another] child and they chose me.” No longer alone, she suddenly had a home, parents and a sister. Seeing her sibling for the first time left an indelible impression on the young child: “[My sister Jean] was in a purple skirt and sweater and I remember her freckles. I

had never seen anyone with freckles!” Not only did the couple gain another daughter to round out their family circle, but they also filled a void in two young girls’ lives that changed those lives forever. For Ginger and her sister Jean, a permanent home meant roots, strong family ties and stability. It meant a wonderful hometown in which to be raised. “I remember the corner store and

Ginger and her sister Jean playing outside with neighbors,” Mrs. Beebe recalls fondly. Adoption meant an uncertain future had been avoided and a new world of opportunity had been given. Simply put, Ginger Beebe says she was “blessed” to have been adopted by the Crooms. There are also numerous illustrations of how an orphaned child can climb to, perhaps, great heights given the right home life. Orphaned at the age of 10, Eleanor Roosevelt went on to become First Lady, writer and humanitarian. Babe Ruth’s father sent his 8-year-old son to an orphanage where the young

boy would learn to play baseball. Country music star, Faith Hill, was adopted as a baby, as was Wendy’s Founder, Dave Thomas, who went on to found the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Both Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton and also First Lady Nancy Reagan were adopted by their stepfathers. Their lives may have been immeasurably different had it not been for the love of an adopted parent, a foster family or simply an adult that cared. It should come as no surprise that Arkansas’ First Lady encourages fellow Arkansans to consider adoption and foster parenting. Mrs. Beebe knows there are burgeoning numbers of orphans and homeless children within the confines of the Natural State. “The need is so great locally.” Besides the vast numbers of children of all ages throughout Arkansas in need of a home, one need look no further than White County, which has a growing population of children who need love, direction and an opportunity to grow up in the warmth and security of a family setting. Ginger Beebe’s father, Buell, passed away after she graduated from Searcy High; her mother not long after Governor Beebe was first elected Attorney General. The Crooms didn’t live to see everything the younger of their “two girls” would see and do, but their morals and life’s work helped pave the way for her journey. As for her own experience as an adopted child, Mrs. Beebe is quite at peace with the life she was given by her adoptive parents. There is no bitterness for the life that never was, only gratitude for the life that resulted from being given up for adoption. “I have had a good life and I always felt so special,” Ginger says of being specifically chosen to be a daughter and a sister. “I was given a wonderful family.”

SearcyLiving.com 39

court appointed special advocates

by Nita Cochran

What is CASA? CASA of White County is part of the National CASA organization, with State and local supervision. CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, currently has 47 advocates, who are a diverse group of White County citizens that are trained to investigate, monitor, encourage and make recommendations to the juvenile court judge solely on behalf of a foster child. CASA has provided these services to 119 children so far this year. Our advocates’ hope is to make a difference in the lives of these hurting children. We seek to train quality, caring citizens to become Child Advocates and to educate the community about how to protect and provide for its greatest resource, its children. CASA volunteers

Al & Carla Fowler

To become a CASA volunteer call 501-305-3428.

“

When Carla and I married a couple of years ago, we were already involved in several local volunteer activities. As we began our life together, we decided to find something we could do as a couple that would honor God and benefit the community. We were already somewhat aware of CASA and knew several foster parents. When Lori Sansom suggested we consider being CASA volunteers, it just clicked. Her urging prompted our investigation and we loved the mission of looking out for children who, through no fault of their own, were caught up in the court system. It gives us an opportunity to interact with children, parents and other family members. Our desire is to make a difference one child at a time. ~Al Fowler

”

220 White County children entered the foster care system

last year. These children, through no fault of their own, found themselves in a new home, school and church, often with ties to extended family, playmates and regular activities gone. Thankfully, we have loving, trained foster families in White County, says Ashley Bayne, a CASA case coordinator and foster parent herself, who can be the safety net for these children while their parents try to get their life back in order and work to provide a safe home for their children. At CASA we like to say, “If a parent has the desire to be a good parent, we can get them the resources and skills to do it.” As a CASA, we have the opportunity to help families who are working towards making positive changes which will affect their children for a lifetime. Kim Wilson, another CASA case coordinator, has learned that everyone has a story and the majority of families who are in the court system want a better life for their children. “CASAs are aware of the lack of emotional and physical support so many people have, and how many 40 Your Hometown Magazine

are truly alone in our community,” stated Wilson. “Most, if not all, of the parents we work with had little positive modeling in their childhood, and they are unable to pass along positive parenting skills they never experienced themselves.” CASAs encourage parents to use the resources provided to them by the Department of Child and Family Services, which enable the children and parents to have their basic needs met and learn skills, while working towards a successful reunification, if possible. Lori Sansom, also a case coordinator at CASA, explains what it takes to be a volunteer for CASA. “To be a volunteer requires no prior experience in the legal or social work fields. Each volunteer receives training to investigate, facilitate/support, advocate and monitor cases where there is court involvement due to child abuse or neglect. A volunteer may interview doctors, therapists, relatives, neighbors… anyone who might have information relevant to the case and to the child, says Sansom. The goal of a CASA volunteer is to see that child placed in a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible, and to be a constant in a child’s life when almost everything else is changing. We seek to provide the judge and others involved in the case with as much information as possible in order to make a sound decision on behalf of the child. We have volunteer trainings conducted 3 times a year, says Nita Cochran, who conducts the training sessions, and would love to have a quality group to train in the next session. The unique role that CASA serves in these cases is the ability to have one wonderful volunteer that serves on one case until the case is closed. When children enter care, their foster home and family service worker may change several times over the life of the case, unfortunately, due to any

number of circumstances. Our volunteers work with one child or one family from the time they enter foster care until they are back in a permanent home. We want to be one stable source of support that is with them every step of the way, says Cochran, and our volunteers commit to serving a child until that happens. The messages that we want to share with the community are that “Good Parenting Lasts a Lifetime” and that if we all do our part, our community will be stronger for it.

Take good care of your own family and help others by volunteering to be a foster parent, or a CASA advocate, or donate to the Foster Care Boutique or serve as a coach or mentor in the community. Invest in the future of White County by investing in its children!! For more information about how you can volunteer, contact Nita Cochran at CASA. (305-3428) or fill out the form on page 54.

What is Child Abuse? Child Abuse is any mistreatment of a child that results in harm or injury and that has no “reasonable” explanation. Child abuse is generally divided into several categories: Physical Abuse includes hitting, shaking, beating, burning, and strangling a child. Neglect is failing to provide for a child’s wellbeing and not meeting a child’s needs for things like proper food, medical care, hygiene, shelter, education, love and attention, and supervision. Sexual Abuse includes allowing children to witness sexual acts, involving a child in pornography, touching/fondling, or rape. Emotional Abuse includes criticizing, belittling, insulting, rejecting, and withholding love, support or guidance. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the AR Child Abuse Hotline

800-482-5964

3rd grade representatives from Westside, Sidney Deener, McRae and Harding Academy are shown in front of their school in their “Light the Night” tee shirts. They helped CASA deliver classroom posters, parenting resources and student gifts to their classmates during Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. The students were introduced and given their tee shirts and backpack of supplies at the “Light the Night” program at the courthouse. They then delivered the resources to their classes the following day. The 3rd graders were also visited by CASA during Junior Auxilary’s “Child Lures” presentations where they heard lessons about how to be safe and made pinwheels, which are the national symbol for Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention.

SearcyLiving.com 41

iss Stewart - her full name is Vertie Gay (Stewart) Givans - and she was my house parent at Glendale Children’s Home. She is my Angel from above. I knew there was a kind love in the world because of her. She treated us like humans and not like a number. She is one of the first people in the world who ever showed me any kind of attention or love. She treated us all good, she was even human. I think that was what I first noticed about her; that she had feelings. My other houseparents just seem to be doing their job, but not Miss Stewart. She was with us for life. She gave her life to us. I remember my brother and I would say, “Miss Stewart you are so young and pretty. Get out of this place, get married, have kids, have a life.” She said, “I do have a life, I do have kids and I am married, I am married to you all,” (which she meant all the kids there). She did stuff with us, she helped with our homework, she helped with our chores, she helped if we cried, she was there when we got hurt. There is one thing I want to talk about that Miss Stewart and I shared. This is just one example, but it was the one that hurt the most. I do not talk about this much, so I will do the best I can. The tears are already flowing as I write. My room mate was a wild child, and I don’t mean that in a bad way; I mean that girl was so full of life! She had been through some really rotten things, but she lived life to the fullest. She kept me on my toes. That girl was never still. They said I was hyper - well, she made me look like a turtle! Her name was Rosemary Padgett and she was a year older than me. 42 Your Hometown Magazine

Rosemary kept telling me, “My Daddy is gonna get me out of here,” and she stayed happy with that thought. When I was 13 years old, her Daddy did get her out of there. I was so happy for her. I helped her pack and everything. I just kept telling her, “I am going to miss you girl,” but we still happily packed her stuff. Rosemary left me some Barbies to play with. It was cool... I still have them. Rosemary’s Dad pulled up and took her away and my life changed forever. Enter Miss Stewart. She let me fuss about it, cry about it, hate it, love it, scream and ask God why my best friend had to leave me. She never left my side. She would come to me at 3 a.m. if she heard the first whimper out of me. She also set up a deal with the office so I could talk to Rosemary on the phone. She even talked Rosemary’s Daddy into bringing her to church on a Sunday so we could see each other. That was such a great surprise! That is what makes her (Miss Stewart) so great even today. Rosemary called me one night and said, “Tina, I got to come back.” I said, “What, are you crazy? Why do you want to come back to this place?” She told me why. So I promised her I would take care of it. I talked to Miss Stewart, and she said she would definitely look into it and get her back if need be. That same week, while we were working on it and making headway (thanks to Miss Stewart), I got off the school bus. It was a beautiful sunny day and I had already been told by office personnel that my best friend was coming back. Then I saw Miss Stewart. She was crying. I can still

remember to this day what my first thought was (and it was not about any of my family members). It was the name Rosemary. I screamed at Miss Stewart, saying, “What?! What?! Tell me! Tell me! What has happened?!” She took me in her bedroom and told me that Rosemary was dead. I went into shock and totally shut down. I didn’t believe Miss Stewart. I kept screaming at her and telling her she was a liar. I told her there was no way that Rosemary would have left me like my parents did, and I kept asking her why she would tell me such a cruel lie. I just kept screaming and screaming. All I remember after that is Miss Stewart being there. She was always there. This may seem cold to some, but I did not attend the funeral. My thought process at the time was still at the point that I believed that my best friend was still alive. I felt like somehow if I went to the funeral and saw her, the years that Rosemary and I had together would have been erased. I had already lost enough, and I just couldn’t lose my best friend too. I just couldn’t lose her. A few months later, when I realize she wasn’t coming back, once again Miss Stewart was there. I had picked up the phone and called Rosemary’s house. Her brother, who I also knew well and was also raised at Glendale, said Rosemary didn’t live there anymore. So then I knew it was true. I went to Miss Stewart after that phone call and asked her what Rosemary looked like. She told me she was really pretty. She said she had on a baby blue dress, she had in earrings and they had her fingers clasped together with roses in between her fingers. My life after that was just a blur. Years later, I got a note and a card in the mail from Miss Stewart and enclosed were what pictures she had of Rosemary. This is why I say that she gave us her life, because Miss Stewart never left. If I’m not mistaken, I believe she was in her late fifties when she got married for the first time. Her husband passed away and she was fortunate enough to find love again and remarry. This husband has also passed away, but Miss Stewart is still with us. Her name is now Mrs. Givans, and if I am not mistaken, she still attends the church that all the children from the childrens’ home attended while we were there.

Tina Marie 2010

Tina Marie as a child

Tina Marie and Miss Stewart

SearcyLiving.com 43

What’s for dinner tonight? Are you having a healthy, cost-effective meal? You can know what is for dinner tonight, and you can feed your family healthfully and on a budget with just a few steps. Whether your family is one, two, or seven people – you can prepare healthy meals on a budget. How much do you have to spend on food? How much should you allocate? If you need to figure your food dollar, Iowa State Extension has a great calculator based on the USDA’s Low-Cost Food Plan to help you: www. extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/fooddollar Once you know how much you plan to use on food, you’ll need to plan meals that will fit into your budget. This may seem tedious, especially at first, but it is a very important part of an overall plan to eat healthfully on a budget. Plan your meals around what you have in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry that needs to be used up, and fill in the menu using those items first. Think about your family favorites and staples that are needed. Use MyPyramid to plan nutritious meals and snacks because healthy foods give you more value for your money. Consider your schedule for the week – will you have time to prep food during the week? Check newspaper ads for special sales and coupons. Watch ads regularly so that you can take advantage of great deals. Make sure that sale items are needed and will be used. Write out a menu plan for the week and post it where family members can see it. Then make your grocery list.

Check the unit price before reaching for the “giant” pack. Compare the cost of the same food in different sized containers or different brands.

Do you read labels? Food labels list important nutrition information and can help you find the best value. Check expiration dates and dates on food labels to ensure that you can consume all of the container. No one wants to dump $2.50 down the drain because half a gallon of milk is bad!

grocery shopping

by Katie Cobb, County Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Science

tips * Keep an ongoing list and jot down items

as your supply gets low. If you have a smart phone, use it! Download list apps – that way, you always have your list handy!

* Look over recipes you plan to use. Be sure you have everything you need.

Check your pantry, refrigerator and freezer carefully – what staples (flour, sugar, rice, etc.) should be added to the list?

* If you have space, stock up on sale items used regularly.

* Organize your list according to the store

layout. This is my best way to reduce time in the store, and to limit impulse buys! The longer you are in the store, the more you will buy!

* Use coupons wisely. Only use coupons for items you need.

Plan a time to shop when you are not tired or hungry. If your kids are with you, feed them before you go. It is usually best if you can go to the store alone! Try to shop weekly or less often. If you go to the store frequently, you are probably spending more time each time you go into the store. Stick to your list! Don’t look at items you don’t need. You might learn a few tips for making smart shopping choices by taking the Smart Shopping Quiz found here: www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/smartshopping Be careful about buying convenience foods – you can probably wash your own lettuce, peel your own carrots, and chop your own onions. Do you really need the convenience items, or could you prepare it yourself and save money? If you do purchase convenience foods, make sure you only purchase items that you know you will not have time to prepare. Your best bet is to plan to prepare items yourself. Other ways to limit convenience foods: skip the junk food aisle, make it yourself, don’t pay extra for individual serving sizes (you can transfer servings to containers yourself), and plan your own convenient snack such as an apple, a banana, or grapes.

* Don’t waste food – keep your food safe and prevent * Empty your grocery bags and store all items in an spoilage. Warm temperatures are the leading cause of food spoilage, so get your groceries in the fridge as soon as possible.

appropriate location.

* Plan for leftovers – they can be used in casseroles, soups,

for snacks, and for lunches. Create a “leftovers” list so you can easily see what is available.

For more information, contact me at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (White County), 411 N. Spruce St., Searcy AR. You may also call 501-268-5394, or e-mail me at kcobb@uaex.edu. Check out our website at www.uaex.edu/white! You can also find more information on our Arkansas Families website at www.arfamilies.org. The University of Arkansas offers its program to all eligible persons without regard to race, age, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. References: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University – University Extension (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/). Cooking with Extension – Recipes for Eating Smart and Moving More. University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. Food and Fun for Healthy Families – 2009 Nutrition Calendar. Iowa State University Extension.

44 Your Hometown Magazine

Sometimes, we just need a good summer salad recipe that is quick, easy, and tasty. Here is a chicken salad with fruit – you can mix in a large zippered plastic bag if you like instead of the bowl.

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, well drained 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained ¾ cup chopped celery 1 cup halved seedless grapes Nutrition information per serving: 200 calories, 5g ¼ cup pecans (optional), divided fat, 1g saturated fat, 17g protein, 21g carbohydrates, ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise 1g fiber, 200mg sodium. ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 8 cups of lettuce leaves or 8 large lettuce leaves In a large bowl, toss chicken, pineapple chunks, oranges, celery, grapes, and half of the pecans (optional). In a separate small bowl, mix low-fat mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Gently stir mayonnaise mixture into chicken mixture. Cover and chill in refrigerator. To serve, scoop ²/³ cup of chicken mixture into 1 cup lettuce leaves or 1 large leaf. (Optional) Sprinkle remaining pecans on top of chicken mixture. Makes 8 servings (²/³ cup serving size)

More recipes on SearcyLiving.com!

SearcyLiving.com 45

Birthdays by Stephanie McInturff As I fumble through lyric’s to John Mayer’s “83” it reminds me how simple things can make such a big impact. He sings, “and these days I wish I was six again. Oh, make me a red cape. I wanna be superman.” A cape, a silly game, pretty pink ribbon, a child’s name in icing all lit up with candles - all will fill little hearts with joy! Whether you are a birthday party pro or just beginning, a simple birthday party with a few special touches will make that day perfect... (or as close as you can get). Take some stress off yourself now and understand something may go wrong or fall through. Go with it, switch gears and jump into plan B. I used to worry about all kinds of little details (that really only mattered to me), my kids could have cared less! Pick out a few things that are important to your child, everything else can be flexible. Deciding when and where to have the party will determine how many guests to invite. Do I invite a few close friends or the whole gang? These are age old questions we ask ourselves every year. Prioritize birthday wishes. If you want to do something out of budget, scale down your guest list. Have five good friends do something extra special instead of trying to pull it off for fifteen! Celebrating another year in the life of a child should be a blessed event, not a roller coaster ride on the Nervous Express.

Book your party away from home, saving time, energy, and mess! Pictured are children enjoying activities at Glass From The Past, located in historic downtown Searcy. Children may choose from several crafts and have cake, ice cream, and drinks in the studio! Susan Nolte, owner, also offers classes in many different art forms. Boost our local economy by supporting local businesses who in turn give back to our community. Susan has donated to numerous charities and churches including: The Black House, Habitat For Humanity, Elliot Foundation, Sunshine School, and 4H. A party at home is sometimes preferred due to numerous guests and convenience. You can buy plain party supplies and dress them up by adding touches of ribbon, paper or scrap fabric. A little spray adhesive goes a long way! Print out images on regular computer paper (example: Initials, polka dots, photos of your child...) and glue to paper cups and table runners or adhere to card stock and make streamers or a banner. Mason jars filled with wildflowers can make a budget friendly and beautiful centerpiece. Be it a princess party, a hunt for dinosaur bones or cracking open a pinata filled with treasures, make your party shine with a well thought out plan and a cup full of patience!

Send us pictures of your creative birthday!

46 Your Hometown Magazine

SearcyLiving.com 47

Random Thoughts About My Journey

“T

his little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...” her little face looked up at me while she was singing this simple but significant song. As we walked hand in hand towards her preschool, I started singing with her but I had to stop when a lump in my throat threatened tears. This was her last day in our care as she was soon to be reunited with her grandparents. At that moment, she was unaware of this development as I knew not to make any promises involving her future. There had been some very rough days, yet I had watched this child transform before my eyes in the last two months. Her physical injuries had healed. Her behavior had improved. She now held her head high and quite often declared, “I am a princess!” to which I replied, “Yes, you are.” She was our sixth foster child, and though I was ready for a short break, I was also going to miss her. I remember before becoming a foster parent, I looked at people like Karen Churchwell, Betty Jeffers, and Trina Hoofman and I thought, “Wow, these people are amazing. I could never do what they do, but I sure respect them for being foster parents.” Now, I look back and I realize that even though I wrestled with God every step of the way, He had been preparing my husband and I for this journey for quite some time. The example of others was a big part of that preparation. Our first foster child was a teen that I had mentored for about a year, during which time [through no fault of her own] she ended up in the foster care system. After watching her move

48 Your Hometown Magazine

by Christine Walker photo by Kimberly Brackins

from home to home over the next year, sometimes going into questionable circumstances, I woke up one morning and with complete clarification I told my husband, “We are meant to be her foster parents.” I knew before the words left my mouth that he would be in agreement. But don’t for a minute believe that it was that easy. For two years I had rationalized that someone else could do a better job than us. And could I give up my freedom to care for someone else’s child? Did I really have the time? Wasn’t I already doing my part by volunteering and raising awareness through the magazine? There were times I cried and prayed on my knees for God to protect this child, but I still would not accept that He could use me to help from more than a long distance away.

I humbly realized that “strength for the journey

”

was something I needed too.

When we did become her foster parents, I had discussed with her that she may not like our rules. She assured us that this would not be an issue, but eight months later she decided to move on. She was soon reunited with a relative and we still keep in contact with her from time to time. I know she knows we will always love her. I will always be grateful that God used this situation to give us the push that we needed to help this

child and to be available to help more children. My parents were foster parents for a few years when I was a child. I wrote a story about it with one of my foster brothers in the first issue of Searcy Living. When I called Kevin to tell him that Paul and I had become foster parents, I was shocked that he said he knew I would someday. He was totally not surprised. How did he know that, when I didn’t? I am still incredulous when I think of how much I was wrestling with God. I used every excuse in the book to not become a foster parent until that one morning. The respect and admiration that I already had for my husband has grown so much as I have seen him be a true and good [earthly] “father to the fatherless” to more than thirteen children in two years. My husband is not just my best friend; he is now my hero. Just like with your own children (or so I have heard), there are days that are a struggle. I am always ready for a short break when we have a chance. But when the time is right, another child is placed in our home. There are plenty of times we have said no when we have gotten a call from DHS. I believe that it is realistic to know what your limitations are and when to take a break. I have always made it clear to DHS case workers that we are not just giving the children that stay with us a roof over their head and a place to sleep. We are giving them a home. We have to have limitations to be able to do that. I have a door in my office where I put up pictures of our children. In the middle is a scripture card with the heading “Strength for the Journey.” I always thought that was my prayer for these children. But then I looked at it after a very challenging day with a child and I humbly realized that “strength for the journey” was something I needed, too. The Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique is simply a room in our office building that we have dedicated to house donations from people in the community for the foster children. DHS case workers and foster parents are free to pick up whatever they need (if we have it) for foster children. The other day, a foster parent came into the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique to get her newest foster child some clothing. She took off the baby’s socks to show me the wounds that were now healing from where the child’s parents, while high on meth, had burned holes into her skin with cigarettes. I could sense the baby’s quiet wounded spirit as she looked into my eyes almost like she was saying, “What did I do to deserve this?” But I also could see the love her foster mother had in her eyes, and I knew that this foster parent was on the front line of helping her to heal. Then I imagined this little child saying someday, “I am a princess!” or maybe singing, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...” And I know with the love of that foster parent, she will shine someday. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or helping in some other way, please fill out the form on page 52.

SearcyLiving.com 49

When We Don’t Care Enough to Help

We can guess, we can look at statistics, we can hope to understand. But how do children really feel in the foster care system when life has already let them down? They cannot speak for all children, but here are the thoughts and feelings of two people who grew up in the foster care system. But, did the system fail them? Or did we as a society fail them for not stepping up to help? You decide. What could the system have done to make things easier?

Did you ever wonder when you were young why you did not have a forever family?

Kevin’s Answer: I believe the system did all it could, but the shortcoming, I believe, was the lack of participation of foster parents. The children to foster home ratio is overwhelming. (An example of this is right here in White County where we have only 28 foster homes and over 100 children in foster care. A lot of these children have to go to other counties because of the shortage of foster homes.)

Kevin’s Answer: I wondered all the time, but knew that my parents would not allow that to happen. So eventually I came to the conclusion that it would never happen and decided that I could do things my own way because, after all, what was anyone going to do about it? Put me somewhere I don’t want to be? Oh well!!

TINA’S Answer: If the child is under five and the child has already had existing past problems with the family, I think that the child’s parents’ parental rights should be taken away as soon as possible, so that the child will have a chance to know what stability is in a real home. Temporary placement of a child in a home does not help unless that child knows that he/she has permanent arrangements later. If a child does not have proper relationships when he/she is young, the child will have problems with all encounters for the rest of his/her life, because it is hard to change your entire being after so many years of living a certain way. The first five years of how you are raised are so important and have a bearing on all that you become. What was the fear and loneliness like when you were moved from home to home? Kevin’s Answer: Personally for me, the fear was the fear of not fitting in or feeling that this was just yet another temporary placement and I should not get comfortable or attach myself in any way that may bring pain later, therefore causing deep rooted issues in self worth and trust. TINA’S Answer: My feelings finally got completely numb, until I had none left. I was in a robot like state; I hid all feelings, and continue to do so. For some, this can last through adult life. Did not having a family make you feel different than other children? Kevin’s Answer: Sure it did! Anytime a family oriented function came up, I would feel like a third wheel. And sometimes, although people were trying to help me, I got singled out and it was like a spotlight on me with a sign blinking “orphan” over my head, and that was just as bad. So I tended to withdraw in those situations. TINA’S Answer: Yes, I always thought it was my fault. 50 Your Hometown Magazine

TINA’S Answer: I always thought that I must have done something really bad or I was a very mean person, because no one wanted me. What was it like when you were told you were moving again? Kevin’s Answer: Sometimes it was relief, because I grew to expect it, or I was just disappointed. Either way, it was not a positive experience and it further led to adult distrust and caused me to harbor unhealthy issues, because I felt I had no one I could trust or talk to. Being a kid and having to deal with real issues was extremely difficult and led to some very poor decision making in the future. TINA’S Answer:: Lonely. No matter how hard I work on them, I still have trust issues. What is the nicest thing you remember someone (outside of the system) doing for you when you were little (ten or under) and did it make a real difference? Kevin’s Answer: I remember the nicest thing anyone did for me prior to turning ten, was inviting me into their home for the holidays. They went out of their way NOT to treat me special, but as an equal with their own children, and it did make a difference because I knew how a real family was supposed to be and that gave me hope! TINA’S Answer:: I do not have an answer for this one, because I do not recall anything nice that anyone (outside of the system) had done for me. Therefore, it could not have made a difference.

“ They may not remember what

you said but they will remember how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

“ To the world you may be one person,

But to one person you may be the world.” —UNKNOWN

In general, what can people do that would really help a foster child cope? KEVIN’S Answer:: In general, just be there. Let all your actions speak for you and emphasize to your foster child that you truly care and understand that the child has probably dealt with feelings and issues they are not capable of fully processing. Be patient, loving and always there! I was reading recently and came across this - it just rang out with familiarity... “We know that the outcasts and misfits are the children most likely to become violent, so it only follows that we must pull them into the arms of love and/or acceptance, and find a place where they fit. If our system doesn’t have a place where a child fits, there’s something wrong with the system, not the child.” ~ William G. Defoore

TINA’S Answer:: Keep the child in one place as long as possible or until permanent placement is available. Try to cut out all the red tape of playing the game by putting a child in foster care, then turning the child back over to the parent, then back into foster care, etc. That cycle needs to be stopped. Try to take the parental rights away sooner. Adopt, if possible, and if the child has siblings, help them to keep in touch, if that is possible. Every child deserves a stable environment. Let children have a childhood. You should not be an adult, or feel you should make adult decisions, when you are a child.

‹

Who is Kevin? His mother abandoned him and five siblings at a very young age. His dad was a chronic alcoholic who could not care for his children. Bounced around to twenty different foster homes by the age of fifteen, he finally found stability in a foster home for three short years. Even though he had few examples of stable family life, he was a great brother to the family’s biological child. He is now a father of five with a succesful career and has traveled the world. Sometimes a little hope

goes a long way.

Read Kevin’s Story Online at SearcyLiving.com

‹

Who is Tina?

Read Tina’s Story on Page 44

FACT:

There are currently more than 496,000 children in the public child welfare system. Of these approximately 130,000 are waiting for an adoptive family. (Yes, this is in the United States. Not a faraway third world country. It is right here in your backyard.)

If you are interested helping, please fill out the form on page 52. SearcyLiving.com 51

How You Can Help • Teach your children to be nice in school. You never know what one of their classmates might be going through. • Don’t be judgemental towards the families who have lost their children to foster care. You have not walked in their shoes and you do not know the entire circumstances. They may have been abused themselves as children (Maybe no one helped them when they needed it.), be all alone in the world and overwhelmed, or one of 10,000 other reasons. But it is not your place to judge them. • Once per month the Foster Parent Association meets at The First Baptist Church in Searcy. We need volunteers to help with the children for two hours during that meeting. Call Marsha Melville at 501-230-3900 (or complete the form below) to get your Sunday School involved in helping. • You can give money to one of the group homes, emergency shelters, ranches or other organizations that supports foster care. You can encourage your church to give a portion of the church budget monthly to one of these group homes, emergency shelters, or ranches. Some of these organizations even have the goal of building more facilities and taking in more children. Your church could sponsor an entire house on one of these ranches. Now THAT would be an awesome building fund! • Become a CASA volunteer. Call 305-3428. For more information on CASA read page 40. There is a shortage of CASA volunteers right now and it is a very important role in a foster child’s life. • Donate items to the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique. Foster parents and Case workers get whatever they need (at no

cost) for the foster children. Go to SearcyLiving.com for more information on this project. We also need volunteers to organize donations. • Be the main contact in your church to help us get information out about foster care. This will include helping us bring informational programs and handouts to your church. • Become a Respite Foster Parent. You go through the same training and requirements as a foster parent but you only help in emergency situations or when a foster parent needs a break, has a commitment or until the child can be placed. • You can help with birthday parties, Easter baskets, school supplies, back packs. • Your time is such a valuable gift! Many of you attend church with current foster families. If you know a foster family, offer to help them. You can offer to assist in a variety of ways such as helping them clean their home, detailing a car, bring them a meal, having craft time with the children or coming over to play kick ball or board games (Remember when playing games to include the family’s biological children, too.). Invite the family to a picnic at the park with your family. Become a respite foster parent and you could be an even greater help. Some families have five or six children and these random acts of kindness could be a tremendous help. Be a support system to these caretakers. • If your job allows, take a teen in foster care to work with you and let them job shadow. • Offer to be a tutor. • If you wish to become a foster parent, return the form below. We will get you the information you need to get started.

Buying Snacks & Juice Boxes for the DHS Office q For children when they first come into foster care and they are waiting at the DHS office to find a foster home to go to. Some even have to spend the night at the DHS office when there is a foster home shortage.

q Becoming a Foster Parent Respite q Foster parent certified - I just want to occasionally babysit. Buying Clothing for a Child q When the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique is out of a particular size.

q Organizing Donations

Helping to organize the donations at the Foster Care Boutique.

Being A Support Team to a Foster Parent Family q Going to a child’s special event, helping with birthdays, transporting to appointments [must be certified to transport], helping locate donated needed items such as a crib or toddler bed, assistance with cleaning home, etc.

Being A Contact For My Church q Help us get information out to the congregation about needs, special events, training dates for foster parents.

q Becoming a CASA Volunteer q Giving to a Shelter, Ranch, or Group Home

q My Sunday school class would like to

We can give you information about each place so that you can decide which one you would like to donate to. They all serve different needs, age groups, situations, etc.

Once total or every month. Any help is appreciated.

q Giving New Socks or Undergarments to the Searcy

volunteer to help with the Foster Parents Association meeting for two hours.

Living Foster Care Boutique

Please send to: Searcy Living • P.O. Box 1922 • Searcy,

AR 72145

We will call or e-mail with instructions on how you can help.

52 Your Hometown Magazine

SearcyLiving.com 53

BY GOD’S SECRET ANGEL

A Blessing That Someone

Could Not Accept

If only the world knew... Foster children. It’s just another name for children who don’t have homes. A lot of foster children come from bad lives, or maybe they come from a family that doesn’t love them or from a family that has lots of serious problems and needs help. Either way, foster children deserve to be loved just like other children who have families and are loved. We deserve to have a home, a warm bed at night, clothing, food, and shelter. Just like any other human being deserves.

There have been times when I haven’t had a home and I have had to sleep on the floor of the DHS office. I was in foster care for almost eight years. There have been times when I haven’t had a home and I have had to sleep on the floor of the DHS office. I’ve missed a lot of school because I have had to move so much. In spite of this, I managed to graduate early and I am planning to go to college. I want people to realize they can do so much more to help. I want people to realize teenagers are not bad people. They just have problems like everyone else.

54 Your Hometown Magazine

At the time I wrote this article for Searcy Living, I lived in a shelter and it was nine days before my 18th birthday, but I planned to stay in foster care so I could go to college. Every day I saw someone else who had it worse off than me and I thought, “If only the world knew!” I want the world to know how bad foster children can have it. And it’s not all foster children. Some have it made, but most fall between the cracks of the system. I just want people to realize even a smile or a hug could save a life. Or a bottle of shampoo could brighten a child’s day. God made a blessing that someone could not accept. Maybe you could accept that blessing.

If you want to help, please fill out the form on page 52 and we will help you get started.

SearcyLiving.com 55

by Cassandra Provow

Be a Leader, Not a Follower

A lot of kids say that ROTC stands for retards on the campus, well that’s not the truth. ROTC stands for Reserved Officer Training Corp. They teach you a lot of great things, like leadership, integrity, and discipline. Our motto is: Excellence in all we do. They teach you self discipline and how to discipline others. They also teach you leadership, how to be a leader and not a follower. I was one of the followers until I got in ROTC, and then I became a leader. I can honestly say ROTC is one of the best things that has happened to me. It

helped me to turn my life around. They teach you a lot of great morals to take with you after high school. Before I got in ROTC, I could not be a leader and I had no integrity. But now, integrity is something I put first.

“

They teach you a lot of great things, like leadership, integrity, and discipline.”

Without integrity, your life is full of lies and other non healthy things. I had no integrity until I got in ROTC. I didn’t even know what integrity was. ROTC has a lot of great advantages, like it can help you prepare for the military. You can get a scholarship for staying in ROTC for four years, if you do decide to join the military then it can help you pay for college. ROTC is a great course to be in. If you have children, I would talk to them about joining ROTC. Go to SearcyLiving.com for a link to ROTC. by Ikey Ray

Are you bored already and your parents are leaving you with no cash? Are you not old enough to get a job? Here are a few things to occupy some of your time. • Grab a basketball. There is nothing like playing a game of horse with some friends. • Make it a goal to learn a new skill this summer. • Think of something that you don’t do well, and attempt to make yourself better at doing it. • See how late you can actually sleep. If you do that regularly, see how early you can wake up. • Visit some colleges that you are interested in. • Think about some future careers, research them and see if you can learn anything interesting about them. • Get some friends together and make a video. Maybe you guys will be the next YouTube sensation. • Volunteer somewhere. • Learn to cook some of your favorite dishes. 56 Your Hometown Magazine

No Vive la Vida Loca

Opciones de determinar las consecuencias Choix de déterminer les consequences Choices Determine Consequences ….No matter how you say it.

by Dana House

When silent film stars Lucky Day, Dusty Bottoms and Ned Nederlander get fired, they take a lofty job offer from Mexico to make a film with El Guapo, supposedly the most famous actor in Mexico. They travel to Mexico with dreams of great wealth and fame. Yet, on arrival they learn very quickly that El Guapo is not an actor, but a cruel gang leader suppressing the people of the village. Now, the hope of the village rests on the weak shoulders of three oddly-talented actors, who can’t just walk off the set this time. Three Amigos (marketed as ¡Three Amigos!) is a 1986 comedy film with Lorne Michaels as El Guapo, and Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short starring as the title characters. The Three Amigos think they have found a break in life, only to discover this opportunity was not as it appeared. What they thought would hit the silver screen, just became reality. Now, the scripted words they have spoken, promises they have made, and prideful actions rendered - all in the name of acting - have endangered their lives. No longer are they concerned with making the big bucks or becoming stars, the only important factor is getting out of this mess alive. A line is drawn in the sand and each amigo has a decision to make. The time has come to walk away and accept failure, or go back to the village and attempt to become real heroes. Unsure of what the future may hold and the possibility that they could “die like dogs,” one by one each amigo steps across the line, ready to make a change. I have heard that insanity is doing the same action over and expecting to have a different outcome the next time around. Understanding the definition of consequences, we find that the same action will yield the same result. Choices determine consequences. The Three Amigos had lived as failures. If they wanted to become heroes, they had to make some changes. Although it was a tough decision to make, they went back to the village to fight El Guapo. In the end, they ride away with a few bullet wounds, but nevertheless, as stars - not on the movie screen - but in real life. In our world, many people live the crazy life. They thought they were headed for something beautiful, only to discover a very different reality. But for those that want a different outcome than what you have observed among others, you will have to make choices that will yield the desired results. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Those who continually think on God’s will and act accordingly, God will guard him and keep him in constant peace because he commits himself to God, leans on Him, and hopes confidently in Him.” As Lucky Day quoted, comedic but true, “In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be *the actual* El Guapo!” Unfortunately, the El Guapos we face not only affect us, but everyone around us. As adults, youth, or children, our choices determine our consequences. Those consequences then flow to the other people in your life. As a mother, your decisions affect your children. As a teen, your decisions affect your parents, siblings, friends, and future family. Thus the saying derived, “No one is an island.” Drug and alcohol addictions, teenage pregnancy, unhappy marriages, and adults searching for identity, each begin with small choices throughout life. God’s design offers the opportunity to discover the joys of marriage, children, family, and personal contentment. Few experience these joys, not because it is impossible to achieve, rather it is because they never hear the truth. Or they hear the truth, yet choose to devise a plan outside of God’s original design. We all have our El Guapos ahead. Big decisions to make. But you don’t have to live the crazy life. You can live in peace that God will provide when we put our trust in Him and follow the plan He designed. Your life does not have to be a series of errors. Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” Come learn how to fight the El Guapos in your future, and ride off into the sunset with your amigos as real heroes. Please go to SearcyLiving.com for the schedule of events. The White County True Love Waits program is entering 13 years of service, with approximately 1,200 graduates. True Love Waits is a non-denominational, faith-based, healthy-choices program for teens, ages 12-18. Guys and girls meet separately and learn topics such as becoming a man/woman of God, overcoming past abuse and how to avoid abusive relationships, finding your future mate, the effects of STD’s, avoiding risky behaviors such as drinking, drugs, sex outside of marriage, and much more. Classes are held at River of Life Church, exit 48. There is no cost to graduates. Every graduate will receive a ring and t-shirt. Returning students receive gifts appropriate to the amount of years attended. Each year has a different theme, speakers, and topics. Past themes include 2Fast 2Curious, One Knight Stand (put on the whole armor of God), & Masquerade (going beyond the masks).

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Financial Focus

with Jeff Kernodle

What You Should Know About Market Corrections There is no way around it - markets generally move in cycles! Although the past is no guarantee of the future, historically, the stock market has spent more time on bullish advances that on bearish retreats - which is why stocks have been considered a good investment over the years - the market also tends to retrench more than the average investor would like to think about. The traditional definition of a bear market is a 20% or greater decline in stock prices as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average or other relevant index. A full-fledged bear market can persist for many months or, in rare cases, years. Some corrections, on the other hand, are sharp, but brief, lasting only a day or two - such as the Dow’s 500-point drop in October 1987 - or for a few weeks. Sometimes a short, dramatic decline serves as a prelude to a lengthier downturn. The 1929 crash and subsequent threeyear bear market, which saw the Dow lose almost 90% of its value, illustrates this latter possibility. Government and securities-industry officials are constantly learning from their experiences with previous declines. Regulations established in the wake of the 1929-1932 bear market have helped prevent another decline of similar magnitude. For example, margin requirements were raised from 10 percent to 50 percent to prevent investors from becoming excessively leverage (indebted) the way many were in the months leading up to the 1929 crash. More refinements were introduced after the 1987 correction, including our current system of circuit-breakers. In theory, these circuit-breakers would stretch out a decline over several days rather than allow it to gain momentum immediately. The assumption is that the additional time would help curb panic selling. Although the securities industry is committed to doing everything in its power to protect investors, it cannot prevent market corrections. It is essential for investors to take responsibility for their own investment activity and to arm themselves with as much knowledge as possible about the risks and potential rewards of investing. In the 1930s, the Cowles Commission, formed to guide investors through the aftermath of the 1929 crash, came up with five essential rules for successful investing, which are still applicable today: Invest for the long term. While the stock market can be risky over the short term, risk decreases as your investment time horizon lengthens. A good rule of thumb is that stock and bond investments should be funded with money you won’t need for at least five years. Some investors hope to improve their returns by selling a portion of their holdings just before a correction. Such “market timing” is something that even professional investors find difficult to do well with any consistency and is not recommended for the average investor. Aside from the very real difficulty of identifying the end of one market phase and the beginning of a new one, the basic emotions of greed and fear work strongly against those who attempt market timing, constantly tempting them to overstay their positions in a bull market and to remain on the sidelines for too long in a bear market. Invest systematically. One way to avoid the timing dilemma is to use a simple strategy called dollar-cost averaging - the practice of investing a fixed amount of money in a particular investment at regular intervals. Because the amojnt invested remains constant, the investor buys more shares when the price is low and fewer shares when the price is high. This means that the average cost per share tends to be lower than the average market value of the investment over the same period. Dollar-cost averaging cannot eliminate the risks of investing, guarantee a profit or protect against a loss in declining markets. The success of the program depends on making regular purchases through advancing and declining markets. The success of the program depends on making regular purchases through advancing and declining market periods - and on selling when your investment is worth more than the average price you paid. Since such a plan involves continuous investment in securities, investors should consider their financial ability to continue purchases through periods of low price levels. But dollar-cost averaging does offer a disciplines method of investing in 58 Your Hometown Magazine

the securities markets and lowers the price you have to get to break even. Diversify investments. When people think about investing their money, they probably envision themselves comparing the merits of various investments. But before they get to that step, there is a more basic decision to make: asset allocation. Asset allocation is the percentage of investment funds an investor allocates among asset classes such as stocks, fixed income, cash equivalents, and tangibles/ real estate. The decision is an important one. A study of large pension funds determined that a pension manager’s allocations among asset classes had a far greater long-term effect on returns than the individual securities selected. Of course, asset allocation or investment timing cannot eliminate the risk of fluctuating prices and uncertain returns. Buy quality. Periodically, investors become enamored with initial public offerings (IPOs). For those who know how to invest in them and understand the risks, IPOs can be an appropriate investment. By definition, however, IPOs involve companies whose stocks are untested in public trading. The average investor should approach this arena with extreme caution and commit no more than a small percentage of investment capital to it. At the other end of the spectrum are the many companies with histories of consistent sales and earning growth. Although nothing is guaranteed in the investment markets, there is a lower probability that such companies with drop off the investment map during a correction. Rather, a correction presents investors with the opportunity to acquire more shares of historically seasoned, financially sound companies at reasonable prices. Get professional advice. Each investor brings a different outlook and level of sophistication to the markets. Most investors can benefit from some degree of professional input. Whether that means professional research on individual securities, advice on asset allocation, or entrusting money to professional portfolio managers, investment professionals are great resources fro helping investors achieve their financial goals. Particularly during corrections, it helps to have a coherent investment strategy worked out in advance and to be able to keep that strategy clearly in mind as events unfold. A qualified investment professional can help plan a sound investment strategy. *Gray P. Brinson, Brian D. Singer, and Gilbert L. Beebower, “Determinants of Portfolio Performance II : An update,” Financial Analysts journal, May/June 1991. This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Jeff Kernodle, Senior Financial Advisor in Searcy at 501-279-0101 Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOVE VALUE Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered brokerdealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLD (WFAFN, and Member SIPC. Kernodle Investment Management is a separate entity from WFAFN.

About the Writer Jeff Kernodle is a Senior Financial Advisor with Kernodle Investment Management in Searcy located at 707 W. Beebe-Capps Expy. Tune in to News Talk 99.1 every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. to hear Jeff discuss investments and the economy. For more information on this and other articles, please call Jeff at 501-279-0101.

SearcyLiving.com 59

before

Many thanks to Hays for Tracy’s outfit and Everett for coordinating Tibby’s! Cosmetic Studio provided the ladies with makeup, and Salon Bliss styled their hair. Tracy’s accessories can be found at Unique Boutique, and Maggie Hendrix from Zoe Potrait Art captured memories of our Mommy-and-Me makeover.

60 Your Hometown Magazine

2303 W. Beebe-Capps Expy. • Searcy (501) 279-2544 3005 E. Race St. • Searcy (501) 268-0800

1211 E. Race St. • Searcy (501) 268-1700

In the Heart & Soul Plaza 1623 E. Beebe-Capps • Searcy (501) 279-2526

103 W. Market • Downtown Searcy (501) 278-4646

www.ZoePortraitArt.com SearcyLiving.com 61

2 ot ghave! Byron’s Jewelry • Princess Cut yellow diamond center stone with round white brilliant cut side stones. 1.0 kt tw $2,700

Searcy Florist & Gifts Coffee clothes $8.99 1507 W. Pleasure Ave. Searcy (501) 268-0240

62 Your Hometown Magazine

• 14 kt w/g set with a 1.0 ct center diamond and 1.31 tw semi mount $5,048 • 14 kt 2 tone engagement with 1/2 kt center and 1.21 semi mount $3,320 2601 E. Race. Suite 1 • Searcy, AR (501) 268-1660

SearcyLiving.com 63

Games & Puzzles ACROSS 2. If I became a foster parent do I have to take any child they call me about? 4. An unexpected surprise for the Johnsons. 5. A faith based organization that actively recruits foster families. 6. A fortunate First Lady. 8. “Strength for the Journey” 10. Celebrating another year of life. DOWN 1. Wendy’s founder who started this adoption foundation. 3. Court Appointed Special Advocates. 7. A room at Searcy Living Magazine dedicated to house donations from people in the community for foster children. 9. Simple things can fill a child’s heart with ______.

STUMPED? Get the answers, play games, download wallpaper and tons more online at SearcyLiving.com!

Riddles You live in a one story house made entirely of redwood. What color would the stairs be?

Which is correct to say, “The yolk of the egg are white,” or “the yolk of the egg is white?”

64 Your Hometown Magazine

SearcyLiving.com 65

Thank you, Searcy, for once again voting First Security Best of the Best and for banking better with us!

Source: Searcy Daily Citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 Readers Poll

* Investment products provided by Crews & Associates, Inc. are not FDIC insured, may lose value, and are not bank guaranteed.

Bank Better. Member FDIC

68 Your Hometown Magazine

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