Sunshine

COVER STORY
A
message
of hope
White House Photo by Shealah Craighead
During a Helping America’s
Youth conference hosted by
Mrs. Laura Bush, former MCH
resident Lonnie Mims shared
how he discovered a sense of
purpose for his life while
living at the Home.
Sitting in the same room as the President of the United States,
Lonnie Mims reflected on his journey in life that led him to The
White House.
A former resident of Methodist Children’s Home, Mims and
other young adults from across the country were attending a special
event recognizing the Helping America’s Youth initiative Feb. 7 in
Washington, D.C. As he looked across the room, Mims was struck
by the reality of being at The White House.
“I thought, ‘I can’t believe I’m actually in the same room as
President Bush,’” Mims recalled. “I never would have guessed this
would happen to me.”
The Helping America’s Youth initiative is a national effort
established by President Bush in 2005 to raise awareness about the
challenges at-risk youth face. Mims and other young people in
attendance at The White House event had participated in Helping
America’s Youth regional conferences earlier in the year.
Mims, who was placed into state custody as a young child,
lived for several years in foster care before moving to MCH in
2000. In recent years, he has received support through the Transition
Resource Action Center (TRAC) in Dallas, which provides
educational and career guidance for young men and women who
have been in custody of the state. His involvement with TRAC led
to an invitation to speak at a regional Helping America’s Youth
conference in Dallas last November.
Mims feels blessed to have had the opportunity to see President
Bush. He received a phone call from The White House just days
before the event. Although he was thrilled at the invitation, Mims
learned that he had to pay his own travel expenses, an obstacle that
seemed too large to overcome. However, when MCH president Bobby
Gilliam heard about this opportunity, he called Mims and told him
that the Home would pay for his expenses. Evy Kay Ritzen, program
director at TRAC, then used her connections to handle his travel
arrangements.
“I am very grateful for Mr. Gilliam and Methodist Children’s
Home,” Mims said. “Without their support, I would not have been
able to go on that trip.”
The Helping America’s Youth initiative is under the direction
of Mrs. Laura Bush. During the event at The White House, she
expressed her appreciation for the volunteers and mentors who
work with at-risk youth, and she addressed many of the challenges
they face each day.
Mims has certainly experienced his share of challenges. When
he was a young child, his mother worked long hours as a nurse to try
to provide for her children. Without a father at home, the older children
were forced to help care for the daily needs of their younger siblings.
Eventually, his family had to leave their apartment due to financial
problems and they moved in with Mims’ grandmother. When she
could no longer provide care, the children were placed in the custody
of the state, which began a series of placements for Mims.
“I lived in so many foster care homes and children’s homes, I
can’t even remember them all,” Mims said. “Even though I was
young, I knew something wasn’t right.”
Mims’ older brother and sister ended up at Methodist Children’s
Home, and he and his younger sister were placed there later.
4 Sunshine