Working on a Project - COBYS Family Services

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Mission Statement Motivated by Christian faith, COBYS Family Services educates, supports, and empowers children and adults to reach their full potential. Board of Directors Rose Walmer, President Tom Weber, Vice-President Debra Krantz, Secretary John Wise, Treasurer Pamela Ament Nancy Fittery Steve Echternach Arthur Kreider Wendy Egolf Brenda Spence Administrative Staff Mark Cunningham, Executive Director Mary Sourber, Director of Placement Services Donald Fitzkee, Director of Development Cynthia Umberger, Controller Bethany Kauffman-Raub, Office Manager Michele Romeo Martin, Supervisor of Counseling Services Abby Keiser, Family Life Education Supervisor Sharon Kingsley, Foster Care Supervisor Nicole Lauzus, Permanency Unit Supervisor Fostering Hope is the quarterly newsletter of COBYS Family Services, a Christian family service agency, affiliated with the Atlantic Northeast District of the Church of the Brethren. COBYS Family Services 1417 Oregon Road Leola, PA 17540 Phone: 717-656-6580 800-452-6517 Fax: 717-656-3056 www.cobys.org What a Difference a Year Makes! As I was reviewing events that have occurred in the life of COBYS over the past year or so, July 25, 2012, stood out to me. That was the day that I first set foot in a vacant building at 171 East King Street, Lancaster—a building that later would become our Family Life Center. We purchased the building on October 1, 2012, did numerous upgrades, moved Family Life Education staff in on December 8, and began hosting programs there on January 8 of this year. Since then, COBYS has held 18 classes (about 130 total class sessions) and served more than 300 adults and children at our Family Life Center. (And that doesn’t count the 17 classes and workshops that our educators led in churches, schools, Lancaster County Prison, and other locations in our communities during that time.) Currently programs are running four nights a week and some Saturday mornings at 171 East King. A lot of ministry is happening at our new facility! I am so thankful for all the ways the programs there are helping to strengthen families. When I reflect on all that has happened over the past year, I can’t help but to be thankful and recognize that God has been with us throughout this entire process! We are blessed! Because of the support we receive from so many faithful donors, we were in a position to make a down payment on the property and pay for minor renovations and furnishings. But there’s still work to be done. As you can read on page seven in this newsletter, we now have launched the “Work for the Well-Being of the City” campaign. We will be inviting individuals, businesses, and churches to go above and beyond their regular support over the next couple years to help us eliminate the debt we have on the new property, recoup some of the start-up costs, and provide even more classes for parents and children in the new facility and beyond its doors. It will take $300,000 to accomplish these goals. COBYS doesn’t have financial campaigns often. This is just the third in 33 years. We are thankful for the strong support we receive for our ministries all of the time, and we schedule campaigns only when we have a special need. As campaigns go, $300,000 is a pretty modest figure, but it still will take some substantial gifts to accomplish the campaign’s goals and solidify our Family Life Education ministries. We’re doing a lot of good things at our Family Life Center! When we ask you to give in coming months, we hope you will say “yes” to partnering with us as we “Work for the Well-Being of the City”! Mark Cunningham, Executive Director Fostering Hope 2
(continued from page one) past 18 months, Greg understates, “We trust each other a little more.” Learning to trust is no small feat. “The Hesses have had to tear out the foundation and build a whole new foundation,” explains COBYS Adoption Caseworker Melanie Swansfeger, since Greg doesn’t have a positive understanding of what a mother and father are. “Deep down he can’t fully trust,” says Landon. “He has reasons not to trust anyone in that role, but he’s come a long way in trusting a family.” His parents see other positive developments. “One of the biggest changes I see in Greg,” says his dad, “is he has become more confident in himself. He’s a little more outgoing than he was.” “He does well with people,” Julie agrees. “Especially little ones,” Greg adds. “They like me.” Greg has had some other accomplishments this summer, as well. In June, he walked with the graduating class at Hempfield High School and has been accepted into a highly competitive Lancaster- Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 Willow Valley Work Immersion Program. “There’s a lot that apply and only so many get in,” says Landon. “He can be learning some trades there and likely get a job there after his training. So that’s really exciting.” The one-year program, based at the Willow Valley retirement community, teaches work and life skills to high-school seniors. Program participants complete several one- to two-month internships at the retirement community Greg not only is fond of his rabbit, Bugsy, but also is quick to put up the bunny ears when a camera comes out. He gave caseworker Landon Miller some ears at graduation in June (above) and Landon returned the favor at Greg’s July adoption. or local businesses. If things go well, Greg will officially graduate from high school next June and will be in a good position to obtain employment. Greg already has been building his resume. He worked for PA Scales as part of an IU 13 internship, and continues to work part-time as a host at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. Greg also enjoys working around home; assisting his dad with projects at Manor Church near Mountville, where Scott is employed as Facilities Manager and where the whole family worships; and generally helping out where needed. At COBYS resource parent training events hosted by area churches, Greg will be the guy tearing town tables and putting away chairs after the meal. When I arrived to meet the Hesses at their home on an August day, Greg was assisting a contractor to finish up a window replacement project. (I got the idea that he would rather have stuck with that project than talk with me!) The previous couple days he had helped tear out the old windows. “He enjoys demolition way too much,” his dad says with a grin. But the Hesses’ biggest project still is working on building that family. They took a major step on July 11, when Scott and Julie adopted Greg, followed by a celebratory trip to Hersheypark. Despite challenges along the way, the Hesses have no regrets. “I’m glad that we’re doing what we’re doing,” says Julie. “He stretched me in some ways I wasn’t expecting,” Scott adds, “but it’s all good. Some of the stretching is trying to understand where Greg is coming from.” Both Scott and Julie have felt supported by Landon and Melanie along the way, and Melanie continues to provide post permanency services to help the family adjust and continue to grow. While Greg has become more independent and looks forward to the day when he can do even more things on his own, he recognizes that he still has some work to do to overcome the effects of his childhood. Fortunately, he has some good people in his corner who are willing to lend him a hand. “I’m a fix-it type person,” says Scott, “but this I can’t fix. I can help him work through it, but I can’t fix it.” But Greg’s a hard worker, and with some help, he just might get it done. He now has the foundation of a supportive family to build on. Fostering Hope 3
Page 1: Fostering Hope FALL 2013 VOLUME 23,
Page 5 and 6: Eleven new sibling groups came into
Page 7 and 8: ‘Work for the Well-Being’ Finan

Working on a Project - COBYS Family Services

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