Bridge Academy to Present First Annual Talent Show!

Our Self Expression Specialist Aaron Whited is organizing the first annual talent show for our Bridge Academy. Aaron has been helping the students prepare for a couple of weeks now and they will be: singing, acting, performing stand-up comedy routines and playing musical instruments. Aaron is really putting on a show and the students will be accompanied by lighting and sound arrangements with a projection video adding flare to the performances!

*The talent show has been rescheduled for a later date so as to be an added element to their first Family Night! When the new date is announced we will post it and update our readers!

For more information on our Bridge Academy contact Frances Coyne-Davis at 304-916-1874

Posted by: Ashley Way

September was an Active Month for CHS Volunteers!

September was a busy month around Children's Home Society with four major events on top of the daily hustle and bustle: Purse Bingo, 2nd Annual WE CAN Golf Tournament, Neighborhood Day, and the Women of Americana Tribute Concert. These events would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our volunteers and community members! In September we had the honor and privilege of 69 active volunteers dedicating their time and service to the mission of Children's Home Society and we appreciate every minute of their time and involvement!

A big thank you goes out to our: mentors, interns, Advisory Council members, the agents of the Parkersburg Area Association of Realtors, the P.H.S. ROTC, the coaches of Parkersburg Catholic Baseball, and the lady musicians of the Women of Americana Tribute Concert! Thank you for all that you to do make Children's Home Society a vital presence in the community and help us to better serve the children and families we care for!

Collectively our volunteers recorded 522.5 hours for the month of September, and that is something our staff and volunteers alike should be very proud of!

Posted by: Ashley Way

New Website for Foster Care Support Group

Foster Care Aide Greg Nicholson has launched a new website for the Foster Care Support Groups! Greg keeps coming up with creative and innovative ways to keep the foster parents connected and involved, and we’re glad to have him back in our Foster Care Program where he originally started with us in fall of 2009.

The website is a 30 day trial so depending on what kind of traffic and response it gets will determine if he will continue it as a permanent fixture for the Program.

To visit the website go to: http://our-families-support-group.webnode.com//

Posted by: Ashley Way

Trunk or Treat

No need to wait until Halloween to get your trick or treat on...TRUNK OR TREAT will be held in our community at the City Park on Saturday October 22nd from 2—4pm! Bring the family for fun, games, candy and informational resources on the various programs available to youth in our area! Costumes are encouraged so be creative and get twice the use out of your Halloween ensemble!

Children's Home Society will be one of the many organizations in attendance so stop by our booth and say hello! This year’s Trunk or Treat is sponsored by NYAP: The National Youth Advocate Program.

Posted by: Ashley Way

WE CAN Program Gears Up for Busy Month of Recruiting…

The WE CAN Mentoring Program is always busy seeking dedicated volunteers, and in October we’re gearing up for major recruiting efforts! In September WE CAN was present at two community service/civic engagement fairs at Marietta College and we have three major events planned for this month. On October 17th WE CAN will address the Student Government at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. Following that will be an informational booth and meet and greet with the employees of the Bureau of Public Debt for their annual Combined Federal Campaign. In 2009 our presence there secured one of our current mentors, so we’re hoping for some continued interest from this endeavor! Closing out the month on the 26th WE CAN will have a recruiting booth at Ohio Valley University to expose the students to the wonderful community service and volunteer opportunities available here at Children's Home Society!

For more information or if you are interested in becoming a mentor in the WE CAN Program contact Ashley Way: 304-485-0650 or away@childhswv.org

CHS Family expands...and it's a girl!!

Shauna Kelley and her husband John welcomed a new baby girl on Thursday September 29, 2011. Lillian Rose Kelley, 5 lbs 9 oz and 19” is welcomed into our CHS family and we cannot wait to meet the little bundle of joy! Baby and mommy are healthy and we extend the family our best wishes! Shauna started with us as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2006 before signing on as a Relief Youth Care Worker in the After School Program. Continuing to show her dedication to our community and the children and families we serve she then evolved into the Academic Coordinator for the Midtown Family Resource Center working with both the McKinley After School Program and the CHS Summer Program. Shauna recently graduated from WVU-P with her Bachelor’s degree in Education and obtained her teaching certificate to substitute teach in the Wood County School System.

Congratulations to Shauna and John!

Posted by: Ashley Way

Foster Care Hosts Support Group

Foster Care Case Aide Greg Nicholson hosted a Foster Care Support Group here at CHS on October 1st. These support groups are designed for the foster parents to collaborate on upcoming group events, discuss future training opportunities, and offer advice and guidance on a peer-to-peer basis. CHS is grateful to those who attended, especially on a Saturday and in addition to their busy lives with their families and children! The next group is scheduled to meet on November 17th from 6-8 pm in Suite 5 of Children's Home Society—1739 St. Mary’s Ave.