Fall 2014 - Join the Journey

VOL . 19 / NO. 2

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FALL

JASE: Getting the life he needs and deserves through Jonah's Journey

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF BROKENNESS

WHEN FOSTER CARE IS THE ONLY OPTION

A visit to an incarcerated mother changed the life of LeAllison Whittinghill and many more.

Children of incarcerated parents are welcome additions to Jonah’s Journey caregivers.

What happens to the 2.7 million children in the U.S. who have an incarcerated parent?

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palmerhome.org

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CONTENTS

A MISSION NOT IN VAIN

LETTER FROM OUR CEO

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THE JOURNEY BEGINS LEALLISON WHITTINGHILL TURNED A PRISON VISIT INTO A MISSION

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THE JOURNEY FROM THE INSIDE INCARCERATED MOTHERS MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS

PRESIDENT & CEO : DRAKE BASSETT Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Robert Farris

Vice President of Marketing Leon Manning

Editor : Mabus Agency Design : Mabus Agency Photography : Mabus Photography

Vice President of Human Resources Lynn Atkins

Vice President of Development Josh Whelan

Vice President of Business Affairs Carol Wright

Vice President of Children’s Services Dr. David Foster

Palmer Home Magazine is published biannually and is available by visiting palmerhome.org.

Palmer Home Magazine is published by Palmer Home for Children, a Mississippi not-for-profit corporation that is recognized as a 501(c)(3) public charity.

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JOURNEY THROUGH THE TRENCHES WHY THE JOURNEY? OUR JONAH’S JOURNEY FRIENDS WALK TO BEAUTIFUL

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BREAKING THE CYCLE OF BROKENNESS

WHEN FOSTER CARE IS THE ONLY OPTION

JONAH’S JOURNEY CAREGIVERS

BUILDING BONDS

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PASSION AND PURPOSE MEET LISA HERREN, PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR JONAH’S JOURNEY

PALMER HOME FOR CHILDREN : BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charles Berry Columbus, MS

Doug Davis Hernando, MS

Charles Guest Starkville, MS

Charles McElroy Meridian, MS

Sunny Stuckey Olive Branch, MS

Dr. Robert Black Tupelo, MS

Kirby Dobbs-Floyd Memphis, TN

Dr. Daryl Guest Starkville, MS

Rev. George McKee Faunsdale, AL

Lisa Turner Memphis, TN

Dolph Bryan Starkville, MS

Larry Edwards Ridgeland, MS

Trip Hairston Columbus, MS

Rick Powell Memphis, TN

Lee Tyner Oxford, MS

Karen Carlisle Memphis, TN

Gray Flora III Columbus, MS

DeWitt Hicks Columbus, MS

Jon Reeves Olive Branch, MS

Jim Walker Germantown, TN

Harold Clark Starkville, MS

Jack Forbus Starkville, MS

Rev. Tom Kay Jr. Aliceville, AL

Dr. Russ Russell Columbus, MS

Alan Walters Jackson, MS

Robert Clark Starkville, MS

Dr. Hugh Francis Jr. Memphis, TN

Tom McCann Peachtree City, GA

Donny Sanders Aliceville, AL

David E. White Meridian, MS

WE KNOW WE CANNOT REACH OR RESCUE EVERY CHILD IN NEED, BUT THE CHILDREN WE DO HELP ARE RESCUED FROM THE EARLY EFFECTS OF A PATH THAT REINFORCES LONELINESS AND DESPAIR. In March 2014, Palmer Home stepped fully into the foster-care realm by merging with Jonah’s Journey, a ministry that provides temporary and long-term foster care to the children of incarcerated mothers. The state-run foster care alternative has given more than 100 children the opportunity to live with loving, Christian families while their mothers serve prison sentences.

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LETTER FROM THE CEO

BY DRAKE BASSETT

“Two are better than one…If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 It’s a powerful thing to have someone you can call your own. For those of us blessed with family and friends, grasping what it is to be alone in the world – truly alone – is very hard to do.

I remember waiting to be picked up from football practice one night as a child. It was cold, the coaches left and I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood. A mix-up at home had me sitting there for a while, and I really wanted someone to show up. The relief I felt was real when my mother finally arrived. I was only 11, and of course I said nothing, but I did not like it. Remembering brief moments of despair helps me relate, but it simply doesn’t compare to the things we see in the world of lonely children.

A Mission Not in Vain.

Several years ago, my sister was working in a care facility for young boys from broken homes. She recounted a particular family visitation day and told me about a boy who waited all day – all day – for someone to show up. No one did. He just waited, hoping against hope that someone would visit and spend time with him.

Sadly, these stories are common. In the past year alone, we have extended care to more than 120 children – children from fractured homes, all with their own stories. Some of these children have been bartered for food, others have had their innocence taken and still others have been told repeatedly they “just don’t matter.”

These stories break my heart because my solid family experience cannot comprehend what it’s like to be moved from home to home or into residential care. A place like Palmer Home for Children softens the landing and offers a safe, peaceful solution, but I’m never convinced that we duplicate what’s been lost.

There are so many consequences from a disrupted family environment: loneliness, the fear of new attachments, the inability to trust or the things children do to find acceptance. A young man told me he cried himself to sleep for years. Years. When I read Jesus’ words about thirst, I now think of the children thirsty for affection, friendship and a touch they can trust.

As you read about Jonah’s Journey, remember this: we know we cannot reach or rescue every child in need, but the children we do help are rescued from the early effects of a path that reinforces loneliness and despair.

These stories begin early. The first few hours and days of a child’s life have a profound effect. Left alone without touch, a child will become sick. God created us to live in fellowship – first with our family, and then with others. Jonah’s Journey is making sure children have immediate, loving care. The soft, peaceful breathing of our new babies when they finally fall asleep at night is proof that our mission is not in vain.

@DRAKE_ BASSETT

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T H E

JOURNEY BEGINS

BY MEREDITH KANE

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he first time LeAllison Whittinghill held baby Jonah in her arms, she knew God was going to use the child for a remarkable purpose.

“I told his mom, ‘He’s going to change the world,’ and at that moment, I didn’t know that just his name — just his birth — was going to change everything.”

Whittinghill and her husband, Billy, had known for some time they were meant to care for many children. With four children of their own in their Hendersonville, Tennessee, home, the couple was hoping for an opportunity other than adoption, but they were unsure of what that opportunity might look like.

Their questions were answered when a friend phoned Whittinghill saying the volunteer chaplain at a Nashville women’s prison was in search of a loving family to help an expectant mother. Five days after that initial phone call, Whittinghill and her husband went to the prison to meet with the mother and, after one month, Jonah came home to the Whittinghill family in July of 2007.

LEALLISON WHITTINGHILL J O NA H’ S J O U R N E Y F O U N D E R W I T H J A S E & H U S B A N D B I L LY

While making regular trips to the prison to visit with Jonah’s mother that summer, Whittinghill noticed the staggering number of pregnant women in the facility and began asking difficult questions. Having seen the amount of heartache within the prison walls, she knew there was more to this story than baby Jonah.

“My husband and I knew all along we were supposed to take in multiple kids; we were supposed to do it all over again,” she said.

“We received a call about another woman in prison, and then another.

The calls kept coming, and we realized there was a huge need for this.”

Jonah’s Journey was born — out of the recognition, the need and lots of prayer.

For the last seven years, Jonah’s Journey has provided an alternative to state foster care for mothers who are incarcerated, while serving as a refuge for other children who find themselves in difficult circumstances.

Through an intentional process of pairing pregnant women with interim caregivers, Jonah’s Journey has been able to place more than 100 children into loving, Christian homes while their mothers complete prison sentences.

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“We get calls from all over middle Tennessee, from other agencies and from women who are homeless, in treatment centers or who just need thirty days,” Whittinghill said. “We began in the prison system, but now women on the street know about us, and they turn to us for help.”

This is a revolutionary concept for the majority of the mothers involved, about 95 percent having grown up in the foster care system themselves. Jonah’s Journey is allowing these women to break that cycle, which is why many find this to be a desirable option.

“A lot of [these mothers] don’t have family,” Whittinghill noted. “They may have foster parents, but that situation probably went poorly.

When they say they don’t have anybody, they really don’t. And even though every story is completely different, there is always that common thread — they were all in the state’s custody at one point in their lives, and this leads to a lot of hang-ups with trust.”

Today, close to 50 families are helping care for Jonah’s Journey children. While these families and birth mothers often have little in common, a strong bond is formed through the child.

God has given her a heart designed to love the prison, and the women who reside there, as a result of the wealth of grace she has experienced in her own life. “It’s very easy to give it when you’ve received it,” she said. “Unless you’ve walked in hurt places, it’s hard to understand why I’d keep giving grace to a woman who keeps making bad decisions. But it was given to me, so why would I not give it to them?”

For those skeptical of her approach, Whittinghill said, “The child didn’t choose the mother that he or she has. We can’t ever forget that the child didn’t choose their circumstance. They didn’t choose to be born into a prison, a jail or to a mom who has to serve time.”

Today, the Jonah’s Journey children are thriving. “These children are changing the world. They’re not going to prison like their parents did, but instead they’re coming out of that and breaking those chains by not being the next child that has a troubled life,” Whittinghill said. The children don’t carry parent issues with them because their mother made a great choice — she loved them enough to place them in a loving home.

About 95% of the women who partner with the organization grew up within the foster care system themselves. Jonah’s Journey is allowing these women to break that cycle.

“They both want what’s best for that child, so they can always come back to that,” she said. “The family may not understand how the mother is feeling — sitting in prison — but they can both agree they love this child and want what’s best. They will always have a common ground to rest on, and that helps both parties.”

Whittinghill believes the strength of Jonah’s Journey lies in its commitment to developing a relationship not only between caregivers and child, but also the tie between mother and the caregivers.

“We work really hard on the bond between the mother and the families — that’s very important to us,” she said. “We stress for our caregivers to be proactive in this relationship, to love the mother unconditionally. When she [makes a mistake], you still have to love her; you still have to be there for her, to show her Jesus. You have to show her mercy and grace because she needs it. We all do.”

The women who turn to Jonah’s Journey for help have had troubled pasts and are facing a new set of challenges in prison.

Still, the authenticity of Whittinghill’s vision is apparent: “They may never have had anyone truly love them unconditionally, and that’s powerful. Not that I agree with what they’re doing — and we have to have tough conversations about their choices — but at the end of the day, I still love them. They keep waiting for us not to be there when they call, but that’s what our strength is — it’s forever. They’re forever part of my family.”

The program accepts no government funding and relies solely on the generosity of volunteers and private donors. “The program’s success doesn’t make sense, and that’s how you know it’s of the Lord and not of us,” she said. “It’s not supposed to make sense, because it’s His vision and it’s His children. We’re all His children, but this is His ministry; we’re just here to walk it out, and to love. He didn’t call us to love only the good ones, or only the ones who make all the right decisions. We are called to love no matter what, even in hard places.”

Jonah’s Journey will be helping in other prisons very soon.

While currently working with the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville, it is preparing to expand. “Any jail willing to hear about our program and what we’re doing, we’re willing to go to. We’re hoping to take this to all women’s prisons across the United States,” Whittinghill said.

There is no doubt the women in these facilities will benefit by being on the receiving end of this ministry’s love. “We tell all of our caregivers that you have to just pour into them, affirm them and remind them of who God has made them to be,” she said. “What I tell all my girls is, ‘What you did, or what the chart at the prison says you did, is not who you are — those are choices that you made, and you have to live with them. Our choices come with consequences, but that’s not who you are; that’s something you did.’ We remind them that they are worthy, they deserve more, and they are loved unconditionally.”

Whittinghill has had seven Jonah’s Journey children in her home, including the two boys who live with her family presently.

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“I wanted my child to be taken care of, and I didn’t want him to be lost in state custody. I’ve been in state custody; I’ve been in foster homes, so I know what that is.

I wanted something different for him.”

L ATA S H A L E E F O R M E R I N C A RC E R AT E D M O T H E R

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BY MEREDITH KANE

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he second time Latasha Lee found herself serving time in the Tennessee Prison for Women, she was nearly nine months

pregnant. She was tired — and tired of being tired — when she fell to her knees and began to pray. “I had hit my rock bottom, and I was ready for a change,” Lee said. “There was a lot of time to think about what you want out of life, and what you want to do to make things right. I was talking to God, saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’

I had a couple of months to figure out where my child was going to go, but I knew for sure I did not want him to be in a foster home.”

Afraid to tell her family she had messed up again, Lee turned to the other women in the compound for advice. It was then a close friend began telling her about Jonah’s Journey, a ministry that serves as an alternative to state foster care for mothers who are incarcerated. The ministry pairs incarcerated women with nearby families who take care of their children while the mothers finish a prison sentence.

Lee was immediately interested in this option for her soon-to-beborn son. “I wanted my child to be taken care of, and I didn’t want him to be lost in state custody. I’ve been in state custody; I’ve been in foster homes, so I know what that is. I wanted something different for him,” she said.

Not long after learning of the organization, Lee was called to the prison’s visitation area where a prospective caregiver from Jonah’s Journey was waiting — a mother from Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

Lee recalled, “When I first told her my story, by the end of the meeting she said, ‘I fell in love with you; I’m going to do it.’”

With renewed hope for herself and for her child, Lee agreed to partner with Jonah’s Journey and allow this family to care for her son. On May 31, 2010, baby Victor was born, ten years to the day after Lee had her first son. For the remainder of her stay in prison, Lee did whatever she had to do to ensure regular visits with Victor and his caregivers. “I stayed in church; I met with [Jonah’s Journey] once a week, and I promised God I would stay by His side like He had stayed by mine,” she said.

When Lee was released on January 3, 2012, she had 30 days to secure a job; otherwise, she and her parole officer would have to discuss a potential return to prison. “That day after I got out, I said, ‘God, it’s me and you — let’s go.’ I was out every day walking — walking to find employment — putting in applications all over. My 30th day, I woke up and I said, ‘God, today’s the day. Today is the day.’ And it was.”

C O N T I N U E D N E X T PAG E

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Lee reached out to the manager of a particular Chick-fil-A restaurant in Nashville known to be very welcoming of Jonah’s Journey mothers. She was told, “All you have to do is go over there, tell them your story, and he’ll help you.” Lee began work on February 2 and has been there since.

The active manager in the kitchen, Lee works 50 hours each week, resting on Sundays — when the restaurant is closed. “God is good.

He is really good. If it wouldn’t have been for Him — or [Jonah’s Journey] — coming into my life, I’d probably be on the streets somewhere. I know so, because I know me. But this whole time on my journey, I hear my kids in my head. My oldest son telling me, ‘Mama, you can do it.’ It keeps me going.”

The relationship between Lee and her oldest, who is now 14, has been a challenging one. “There’s a lot between me and him, because he’s been there through my drug addiction,” she said.

“The very first time I got out, I asked him if he wanted to come and stay with me. He said, ‘No, Mama. I’m scared you’re going to leave again.’ That hurt me to my core, but I had to accept it. I know the damage I have caused with my son, but he knows his mama’s door is always open.”

Who she is, is an incredibly strong, overcoming and grateful woman. “I want to tell people about my life, because I’m not ashamed of it. For many years I was, but now I’m not. I want to be able to help another person by my life story,” she said. “You’ve got so many women that are incarcerated, pregnant, lost and in denial. They don’t want to admit their wrongs, and, for years, I didn’t want to admit mine. But God’s given me a second chance in life, so I’m not going to mess that up. All I can do is pray for you and try to encourage you to be a leader, not a follower. Ever since that last time, I have been a leader; I will never follow anybody else again. I always tell my son, ‘Don’t be like me. Be better than me.’”

With four years of sobriety to her credit, Lee admitted it hasn’t been easy. “A time or two I felt like I fell off track — not to go back to drugs or anything like that, but with meeting my goals. But I got back on track. People are going to fall, but it’s up to us to get back up. I’m sure I’m going to fall a few more times before I get it right, but I’m moving forward because nobody else is going to lift me up but myself.”

THE VERY FIRST TIME I GOT OUT, I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO COME AND STAY WITH ME. HE SAID, ‘NO, MAMA. I’M SCARED YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE AGAIN.’

Lee’s issues with drugs began at the age of 10, following the sudden loss of her father. “I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was a daddy’s girl, and it really hurt me. When he died, I died with him,” she said. November of this year will mark 20 years since his passing, but this Father’s Day was the first time Lee went to visit his grave. “It’s still hard for me because I don’t want to accept the fact that my daddy’s gone. I loved him so much.”

After her father’s death, Lee’s mother left the rest of the family to fend for themselves. “My mom went her own way. She didn’t know how to cope with it, so she just abandoned us to go be with this other man,” she said. Without her father as the cornerstone of the family, Lee soon found herself getting into trouble. “I felt like it was my job to try to keep my family together, but everything kept going so wrong. Me and my oldest brother were both real bad on drugs, and it just went on from there.”

Lee spent three years in prison (the first time) on drug charges before going back on similar charges while pregnant with Victor.

“I was out for two years, and then went back in for two. I kept on telling myself I was going to straighten up, but I didn’t.” In saying this, Lee was quick to point out the positive in everything. “Looking back, I don’t regret anything in my past, because it wouldn’t have brought me where I am today. I thank God because He knows — before anybody — what’s going to happen in your life, and I thank Him,” she said. “I’m not mad or angry about what happened in my past. That’s my past; this is who I am today.”

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The goals she is referring to include completing her education, which stopped at the eighth grade.

“At the end of this year or the first of next year, I will be going and trying to get my GED. I want to go to college, for nursing or for business. I wouldn’t mind running my own Chick-fil-A some day,” she said. “I would love that.”

While her schooling is important, Lee considers family her main priority. She is the mother of six

children, the youngest of these — who turned one in July — lives with her in Nashville. She is working towards having her own house and being able to provide more for each of her children, but she also dreams about opening a house for women who share a similar story to her own.

“Whenever I was locked up and I used to watch TV, I’d see the lottery winners, and I said, ‘If I ever get the lottery, I’m building a house, just for pregnant women that are out there on the street so they can have a roof over their heads.’ And I still say that, I do. Because I could’ve been them — I was one of them. I hate seeing people out there like that, because when I see them, I see me.”

Lee’s heart is clearly for these women, and for others to join in with the mission of Jonah’s Journey. “We, as recovering addicts, need help and Christian families to come into our lives to make a difference. They give us that motivation we need to step up and to make a change, to show that we are somebody,” she said. “My motto is, ‘My God has seen the best in me when everyone else around could only see the worst in me. My God never left my side.’ And today, I’m living life to the fullest.”

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FALL, BUT IT’S UP TO US TO GET BACK UP. I’M SURE I’M GOING TO FALL A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE I GET IT RIGHT, BUT I’M MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE IS GOING TO LIFT ME UP BUT MYSELF.

PA L M E R H O M E M A G A Z I N E

JOURNEY THROUGH THE

TR ENCHES

BY LARRY HILL

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ost people understand life is full of choices and opportunities, and in the prison system, many women are faced with the difficult choice of what to do with their children during incarceration.

Incarcerated mothers who have no family nearby to care for their newborn child often look to the Department of Children’s Services as their only option. Common among those women is the fear their baby will be placed into the foster system never to be seen again.

Because of a poor choice, they are now serving time and are often fearful their child will have to similarly serve time or, worse, may never be returned to them.

That is where Jonah’s Journey steps in to provide an alternative.

Patti Garner, an attorney for Jonah’s Journey, said the program offers a good choice: “Jonah’s Journey is a great alternative to DCS custody, mainly because the foster system is completely overwhelmed. What makes this ministry successful is their goal to reunite the child with its mom once her incarceration is complete.”

Marcia Collins, a social worker familiar with the program, said the program makes transitioning into and out of care families smooth: “If an incarcerated mother decides to use Jonah’s Journey, it is the easiest discharge because there is a plan put immediately into place. These mothers have the right to choose where their child is going, and they know their baby will be placed with a loving family who will care for their child.”

Each professional involved in Jonah’s Journey is coming alongside these mothers and their babies in the trenches to ensure the children will not end up being raised in the state system. The program operates on the belief that no matter the circumstances surrounding these stories, each child deserves the opportunity to experience love in a nurturing environment.

Garner admitted she was skeptical of the program initially. She first met Jonah’s Journey founder LeAllison Whittinghill while Whittinghill was serving as a guardian for kids who had been placed into state care. Whittinghill told Garner the mother of the children asked that she serve as a foster parent to her kids while she was incarcerated.

Garner first thought that Whittinghill’s plan was strange. However, after conducting the required home visit and background checks,

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PAT TI GARNER ATTORNEY

“IT’S IRONIC AS TO HOW WE CAME TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER. I CAME INTO THE SITUATION OPPOSED TO IT, AND BY THE TIME WE WERE DONE WITH THAT CASE, THE KIDS WERE IN HER CARE FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS. IT OPENED MY EYES TO THE WORK THEY WERE DOING TO PROTECT THESE CHILDREN AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT BY THESE MOTHERS.”

she fell in love with the purpose, mission and intent behind Jonah’s Journey.

We can often recognize something great in its beginning, and even an end can be celebrated when success is obvious, but what lies in the middle is a part of the process few are privileged to witness.

Jonah’s Journey provides the connection between a mother’s uncertainty and a solid plan of action. Because without it, they can see where they desire to go, yet remain unsure of how to get there.

Each caregiver and volunteer associated with this ministry has accepted the great responsibility of journeying through the trenches with the incarcerated mom, who is able to make choices, and the child, who is not.

With more mothers making the choice to walk this path with Jonah’s Journey, a need for more caregivers is a constant. Isn’t that what everyone should feel a calling to do — care enough to give? For in making that choice, you may just be reuniting someone with the love of their life.

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BRE AKING T HE CYC LE OF BROK ENNESS B Y K E L LY F O S T E R L U N D Q U I S T

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hen Marcia Collins discharges a baby to a Jonah’s Journey caregiver, she never worries because she knows the baby

will be loved and cared for. She is the hospital social worker who manages the placement of infants born to women incarcerated at the Tennessee Prison for Women.

Earlier this year she ran into a familiar face in a supermarket. The woman immediately recognized Collins. “Don’t you remember me?” the lady asked Collins, who said she didn’t. The woman was from Jonah’s Journey, and the happy baby in her shopping cart was placed into the woman’s care more than six months prior.

“It’s the most rewarding thing knowing these babies are being cared for by responsible adults,” Collins said.

She doesn’t always have that same assurance when infants go to family and friends of the prisoners or when the children are placed in state-run foster care.

In the last four months alone, 31 children have received placement in loving homes through Jonah’s Journey. Word of an alternative to state-run foster care continues to spread among mothers at the Tennessee Prison for Women — an alternative that not only gives their children safety and shelter, but also allows them to continue to stay in contact with their children and bond with them during visits at the prison. This is a vital piece of recuperation for mother and child, which foster care does not allow.

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Within the unique stories of Jonah’s Journey caregivers, one theme remains consistent, regardless of the different ages and circumstances of the children. By opening their homes, each family also had their eyes and hearts opened beyond anything they could ever have expected.

Caregivers Amanda Humphrey and her husband, Jason, felt motivated to become a part of Jonah’s Journey despite already having four older children, one of whom had been adopted from Ethiopia. Humphrey said she wanted to be able to put flesh on the words from the Gospel about helping the poor. They wanted their children to see them doing something about those in need, not just talking about it.

Now they find themselves completely in love with baby Ryder, who has been with them for several months. They have also formed a very close relationship with Ryder’s mother, Kayla, who was scheduled for release from prison in August.

Kayla’s story, plagued by neglect, includes the loss of her father at a young age and the betrayal of her mother and multiple boyfriends. It is one of the heartbreaking things that initially made the Humphreys want to be involved in the ministry in the first place. Humphrey said that when she heard Kayla’s story, she knew God wanted them to play a role in making her life better in concrete ways. As Kayla’s release date approached, the Humphreys were trying to help her find a good place to live, dependable work and child care. Humphrey said Kayla is counting down the days until she can hold baby Ryder and be the kind of mom to him she never had.

A consistent theme among the caregivers of Jonah’s Journey is maintaining that vital connection between parent and child.

Mandy Downing’s temporary care of nine-year-old Edgerrin has been extended to more than four years. She said that when any discipline issues arise with her son, she knows it’s because he has been out of contact with his mom for too long and is worried about her. She said that even though he doesn’t want to live with her, he needs to know she’s okay. When his mother is consistent with her phone calls and checking in, his behavior is better.

Edgerrin stands as proof that even children who have had difficulty attaching because of neglect and abuse in their formative years can still thrive if they receive love and attention later in childhood. Downing said one of her most touching moments was watching Edgerrin allow her husband, Mike, to rest his arm along the boy’s shoulder at church after nearly three years of living with them. She said, for a long time, he needed to remain physically distant, and Mike respected that by just allowing him to relate only as he felt comfortable.

Mike would play Legos on the floor with Edgerrin, but the real breakthrough happened when he took him dirt bike riding. Edgerrin told her he was thrilled to have been initiated into the “man club.”

Her heart was so warmed after years of watching this initially skeptical, deeply wounded boy joyfully lean into the embrace of her husband, knowing he had found a safe harbor where no harm could come to him.

Though Edgerrin has thrived under their care and is now a happy kid who loves to play basketball and spend time with his friends, there are still moments when the hardships of his early life come back in unexpected ways. Downing said the first time they told Edgerrin they were all going away as a family to a hotel, he began to cry and grew deeply anxious.

WHEN SHE ASKED HIM WHAT WAS WRONG, HE SAID SIMPLY, “I DON’T WANT TO SLEEP ON THE FLOOR WITH THE DEAD BUGS.” It’s stories like that that keep caregivers like Misty and Nathan Handy involved in Jonah’s Journey despite the heartbreak of having to be willing to let the children you’ve nurtured return home to mothers who still have a struggle ahead. They’ve recently taken in baby Ava, whose mom has a history of severe mental illness and has been in and out of prison for the last few years.

Despite being 15 months old, Ava is unable to walk, and before she came to them, she had not yet begun to eat solid foods. She was terrified of the bathtub and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. She refused to allow them to hold her in their laps. She had never been in a swing or been rocked to sleep.

Although they’ve only had a few weeks with little Ava, she is already learning to kiss and be cuddled, and laugh with delight when she plays in the pool with Misty and Nathan — after being afraid of water just weeks ago.

The stories of the children in Jonah’s Journey are gospel stories.

They are stories of good news that give a reason to hope ­­— hope that, within brokenness, what is scattered in us may be gathered up, what is torn can be mended and what is lost may be found through God’s grace and through the fleshing out of His call to be present to those in need.

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BY JANE PORTER

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olores Davis was serving an eight-year prison term when the improbable happened. At first she thought she might have cancer or stomach problems, anything but what she’d come to discover — that despite the tubectomy she had 10 years before, she was five months pregnant. ​ t the time, Davis had to make a decision. She had four children A but never the chance to raise any of them. To Davis this baby was a miracle — also, her biggest challenge. Where would the child go once it was born?

I​n the United States, 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent, according the Pew Charitable Trust. While the majority of those children have incarcerated fathers, having a mother in prison tends to be more disruptive and traumatizing for a child.

“Children of incarcerated mothers are more likely to be impacted than children of incarcerated fathers because they typically live with the mother,” said Mary Byrne, Stone Foundation professor in clinical health care for the underserved at Columbia University. ​ or newborns and infants, the challenges F of separation from the primary caregiver can be particularly pronounced. In the first two years of a child’s life, as critical brain development takes place, it’s important for an infant to learn how to form a bond with a primary caregiver, said Leslie Leve, professor of counseling psychology and human services at the University of Oregon. “We know that the stability of care is a critical influence on their development,” said Leve.

incarcerated mothers, she had experienced foster care herself while growing up. A study of incarcerated mothers and fathers done

by Partners for Our Children out of the University of Washington’s School of Social Work found that more than a quarter of incarcerated mothers had been in foster care, and up to 80 percent had experienced problems with drugs and alcohol. ​ ​ hen the chaplain of the prison told her about the possibility W of giving her child to a Christian foster family through what is today known as Jonah’s Journey, Davis figured she should at least learn more.

Like many women in her position, Davis knew the difficulties of navigating the state-run system firsthand. By 16, she’d gotten mixed up in prostitution and at 18 she was introduced to crack.

Now, at 31, she was in trouble again, and this time it wasn’t just her life, but the life of her child she could be putting at risk.

NOW, AT 31, SHE WAS IN TROUBLE AGAIN, AND THIS TIME IT WASN’T JUST HER LIFE, BUT THE LIFE OF HER CHILD SHE COULD BE PUTTING AT RISK.

​ or expectant, incarcerated mothers like Davis, options are F limited. Approximately 50 percent of children with incarcerated mothers are left in the care of a relative, typically a grandparent, while another estimated 20 percent of children are cared for by their fathers, according to Julie Poehlmann-Tynan, professor and chair of human development and family studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

For Davis, neither was an option. She had been estranged from her family for nearly a decade, and weeks after learning she was pregnant, she discovered her husband was killed in a fight.

The only place left for her to turn was foster care.

I​t is common for foster care agencies not to include mothers in the initial planning process, with almost half of incarcerated mothers never hearing from their child’s caseworker and two-thirds never receiving a copy of their child’s case plan, according to research by social welfare expert Adela Beckerman. ​ avis had missed out on raising her first four children, and she D did not want the same to happen again. What’s more, like many

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ackie Gillespie and her husband, Steve, arrived at Tennessee Women’s Prison one afternoon filled with apprehension. Gillespie had five biological children, but she’d hoped to adopt another child now that her youngest was older. She had never been to a prison before and didn’t know what to expect. ​ hen Davis met the couple, they sat W around a large table, Davis’s growing belly hidden under orange scrubs, her hands trembling. Then Gillespie took her hand. “When she grabbed my hand, I was shaking and then I felt this calm,” Davis said.

​ illespie felt it too. Under the hardness that a life of drugs and G abuse had given Davis, Gillespie saw something more. “There was such a tenderness also within her,” she said. At the time, Gillespie also felt she was finally getting the chance at adopting the baby she’d been waiting for. “When I first went into this, I really had a heart for adoption,” she said. ​ few weeks later, a baby girl named Marviana was born. Gillespie A picked her up from the hospital when she was three days old.

When Davis heard Gillespie was coming, she locked herself in the bathroom with Marviana and sobbed. She could not bear to give her child away. ​ hrough the door, the guard threatened Davis would lose her T parental visitation rights if she didn’t open up. Reluctantly, the door clicked open, and she handed Marviana to her new caregiver. ​ or many mothers in prison, that might have been the last time F seeing their child for quite some time. Given the limited visits

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typically made by caseworkers and foster families, the bond between mother and baby can be nearly impossible to build and sustain. “The younger they are, the frequency of how often they see that parent is important,” said Irene Clements, president of the National Foster Parent Association. “How often they can interact with that parent becomes critical.”

I​f a mother plans to reunite with her child when released, this lack of connection presents a huge hurdle. “When children don’t have contact with their parent, they are less likely to reunite,” said Poehlmann-Tynan. Research has also shown mothers may be more likely to fall back into drug abuse and crime when contact with their child is not maintained. A report by the Vera Institute of Justice found criminal activity accelerated among women after their children were taken from them. This suggests that efforts to keep a mother and her child together not only preserves the family, but can lead to reduced crime rates among these women. ​ et one of the biggest challenges for Y incarcerated parents whose children go through the public welfare system is the lack of communication and contact from caseworkers and caregivers. ​ he challenges to visitation — long T distances case workers or foster parents must often travel with a child to get to remote prison locations, strict unforgiving visitation rules, large caseload responsibilities that put a time strain on most caseworkers and the lack of education on the part of caseworkers when it comes to the importance of visits to incarcerated parents — all lead most foster children to have limited, if any, faceto-face contact with their incarcerated mothers. ​ hat’s why Davis was surprised when, a week after handing T Marviana to Gillespie, the two arrived at the prison. ​ illespie had her reservations. “As a caregiver, you are taking that G baby to the prison to be with the mama. Who does that?” she said.

“I would struggle so much. How could this be right? How could this be a good thing?” ​ hat didn’t stop Gillespie from driving to the prison every week T with Marviana. She would hand the baby over to her mother who would feed and rock the child. “That bonding forms the attachment cycle that is needed from birth,” she said. “Later on, even in early childhood, it sets their ability to trust and to bond with mom.” ​ or Marviana, those weekly visits meant she could begin to form F a connection to her mother. When Marviana needed to have surgery for a condition called pyloric stenosis that caused her to vomit forcefully, Gillespie called Davis to make sure she consented.

When Marviana was 10 months old, she took her first steps walking between Gillespie and Davis during one of their visits. “For us to get to share that together was really special,” Gillespie said.

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hen Marviana was 22 months old and her mother was released from prison on probation, a new set of challenges arose. For Gillespie, this meant it was time to hand over the child she’d loved and raised from birth. For Davis, it meant adjusting to motherhood after having been in such a strict and regimented environment. “​ Being released and being with your child full-time is a huge adjustment when you’ve gone from a prison setting where your life is extremely structured and regimented,” said Leve. “Babies and toddlers don’t follow clear patterns or sleep cycles and eating cycles. Making that transition could be particularly challenging for moms who were incarcerated.” ​ esearch shows maintaining a connection between mother, child R and caregiver is important in having a successful reunification experience. For this reason, it’s important for a child to stay with the same caregiver rather than being moved around from foster family to foster family, as can be the case with foster care. “Each time you have a new foster care placement, you are that much more likely to fail in that foster care placement and need another one,” said Leve. “It just adds to the youth’s sense of failure and lack of confidence.”​ I​n Marviana’s case, Gillespie had become her primary caregiver. Marviana clung to her, even after Davis was released from prison. Seeing her daughter’s bond to Gillespie as she struggled to assert her own was hard for Davis. “I was jealous that I couldn’t break that bond between her and Jackie,” she said. “I couldn’t handle that mentally.” ​ o Gillespie, as with many caregivers, turning the child over to a T mother who was still finding her footing after prison was scary, not to mention having to part with a child whom she’d come to think of as her own. “That little tap dance between what you’d like to do if you were the birth mom and what you get to do because you are the caregiver ­— that’s incredibly hard,” she said.

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oday, Marviana is six years old. She spends weekends with the Gillespies and will stay for extended visits when her mom needs the support. “She’s apart from me when she’s up there, but I know she’s safe,” said Davis. “She has a stable life there.” ​ few years after Marviana was born, the Gillespies adopted a A little boy from South Korea. They also took in another long-term foster child and have cared for seven babies over the years through Jonah’s Journey. Marviana spends holidays with the Gillespies.​ “​ We have become kind of like grandparents to Marviana,” said Gillespie. “If you could write a success story on what Jonah’s Journey was meant to be, this would be it.”

“THEY’D DONE A GREAT JOB DEVELOPING A NETWORK OF FAMILIES WHO BELIEVED IN THE MISSION,” SAID ROBERT FARRIS, PALMER HOME’S VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. LEALLISON HAD FOUR CHILDREN OF HER OWN AND HAD SEVEN JONAH’S JOURNEY CHILDREN IN HER HOME OVER THE YEARS. SHE WAS RUNNING THE WHOLE OPERATION OUT OF HER HOME, AND SHE’D REACHED HER LIMIT.”

while coincidentally stepping, for the first time, outside the state of Mississippi, Bassett and his team were able to expand the scope of their mission dramatically.

Seven years ago, when Whittinghill took a Tennessee state inmate’s baby into her home, she knew there was much more to be done. Today, her organization has joined forces with Palmer Home to make more happen in a partnership that can only be described as God’s work.

Since March, officials from Palmer Home have been vetting new caregivers, representing the children in the family courts that handle their futures, and overseeing the management of Jonah’s Journey as a whole.

When an incarcerated parent is a child’s only caregiver, the parent’s life is not the only one incarceration puts on hold — the child’s life is also interrupted. Whittinghill knew she couldn’t help every child, but she could help one, and knew that others out there could do the same.

The first small life she brought through her doors for a time was a little boy named Jonah. When his journey began, his mother was serving time in the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville. Even at that one location, Whittinghill knew there were many more to be found like him. She named her program Jonah’s Journey and began placing the children of inmates with members of the nearby community who worked to raise them and worked to help parent and child bond as well.

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eAllison Whittinghill’s resources were running out when Palmer Home officials became aware of Jonah’s Journey — her program to care for the children of incarcerated women.

Meanwhile, the caregivers themselves provide that which Palmer Home’s residential infrastructure typically delivers — a loving Christian home. None of the caregivers receive financial support or compensation for their care from Palmer Home, Jonah’s Journey, the state, the federal government or anyone else.

“We provide training and certification, but they are mission-minded caregivers,” Bassett said. “We couldn’t expand if we had to fund them.”

Since assuming responsibility for the operation of Jonah’s Journey, the program has placed 31 children. Its doors are open to children from crisis pregnancies, failed adoptions, rescues from sex trafficking and more. Through Palmer Home’s oversight, Jonah’s Journey is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in the state of Tennessee. It is a licensed child placement agency, which gives it standing to represent its charges through the maze of chancery court.

Families seeking to become caregivers have to pass training courses as well as a home study. The latter includes a psychological, financial and marital assessment, a federal background check, fingerprinting, at least three in-home visits and a home safety study.

ROBERT FARRIS PA L M E R H O M E VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Through faith, sacrifice, and hard work, the program grew as God led more families to open their doors.

“They’d done a great job developing a network of families who believed in the mission,” said Palmer Home Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Robert Farris. “LeAllison had four children of her own and had seven Jonah’s Journey children in her home over the years. She was running the whole operation out of her home, and she’d reached her limit.”

Palmer Home has always had a passion for displaced children and was looking to do more.

“We’d been looking for a way to expand our mission,” said Palmer Home President and CEO Drake Bassett.

Palmer Home has had a small foster care component but has been mainly geared to serve children who live on campuses in Columbus and Hernando, Mississippi. Stepping fully into the foster care arena

Over a five-year period, roughly 50 percent of the program’s children are adopted — a phenomenally high rate. However, the ultimate goal of Jonah’s Journey is to reunify parent and child if possible. To that end, along with everything else, caregivers commit to taking the youngsters to visit their parents in prison regularly.

“Becoming a caregiver is not a decision to be taken lightly,” Bassett said. “It requires an adjustment in lifestyle, and the vetting process is as valuable to them as it is to us. In caregivers, we’re looking for staying power.”

“We don’t want to re-traumatize the children with frequent replacements,” Farris said.

The expansion of Palmer Home’s mission has been a success, and one Bassett and Farris look to expand again soon. They’ve accessed seven large jails in the Nashville area, where the children of inmates will again find homes nearby.

Hebrews 13:3 commands us to remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them. Bassett says Jonah’s Journey does just that.

“Maybe it means for us to remember the prisoners’ children, too,” he said. “A lot of lives are changed by the work of the caregiver families — lives of the children and lives of their mothers as well.”

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PA L M E R H O M E M A G A Z I N E

OU R JONA H’S JOU R N EY

FRIENDS J O D I & C L AY C U R T I S VO LU N T E E R S

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT JONAH’S JOURNEY? Clay and I first learned of Jonah’s Journey through my sister and her husband. We are a close family, so when they decided to follow God’s calling and foster a baby girl through Jonah’s Journey, we were with them for support the whole way.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN JONAH’S JOURNEY? At the time, my prayer had been for the Lord to show me where our family could make a difference in His name. My son, Anderson, has a heart condition, and the last couple of years have been tough.

God has answered so many of our prayers with regards to him and his condition. We feel so unworthy of His grace, but are thankful.

I will never forget the day Lisa and LeAllison stopped by my house.

I was donating some clothes Anderson had outgrown to a little boy they had just picked up. As I walked to the car with this big tub of clothes, I was stunned. This little boy had nothing but the clothes on his back — he was dirty, there were sores on his body from some type of allergic reaction and he looked very confused.

I had never seen any of the older children Jonah’s Journey took in, only the sweet little newborns. Looking into his eyes broke me.

They had been driving around all morning after picking up the child to find supplies for the family that was going to foster him.

After they drove away, it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is what the Lord had for us.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR INVOLVEMENT MAKING A DIFFERENCE? Almost immediately, I could see, through helping, it took some of the stress and work off of Lisa and LeAllison. Working together we became more organized with the limited resources we had.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF JONAH’S JOURNEY? If I had to choose one area that means the most to me, it would be the work done in the prison. I learned early on that many of the moms have never done anything they are proud of. Deciding to place their children in Jonah’s Journey is a decision they can be proud of, and it gives them peace and self-worth. It’s something that no one can ever take away.

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T H E C U R T I S FA M I LY

WHAT SETS JONAH’S JOURNEY CHARLES & TERRI HAGOOD APART FROM OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS FOR YOU? C A R E G I V E R S

Jonah’s Journey is personal for my family and me. We have gained so much through this ministry. They have helped my family more than we have ever helped them. Beyond that, to me, Jonah’s Journey covers all the bases. They care and minister to the mothers in prison who may not even have one person in their life that cares about them. They also place the children with loving families who stand in the gap for the mothers while they are unable to care for them themselves. The Bible says in Psalm 68:5, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Jonah’s Journey is living this out every day!

CHARLES & TERRI HAGOOD C A R E G I V E R S

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT JONAH’S JOURNEY? My wife, Terri, and I first learned of Jonah’s Journey at Long Hollow Baptist Church, where we’ve been members for more than 25 years. I recall how Jonah’s Journey came about from a vision that LeAllison Whittinghill and Micki Johns had for babies and children.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN JONAH’S JOURNEY? Terri was the one who was first inspired to get involved with Jonah’s Journey. I was a willing supporter of her involvement, although I wasn’t seeking the opportunity to get involved.

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During my youth, my parents cared for more than 35 foster children, many of whom were babies. I convinced myself I wouldn’t get emotionally attached to these children as I had seen my parents do, but I wasn’t going to interfere with Terri’s desire to minister in this way. Little did I know, this little boy we provided a home for would change our lives forever.

I was convinced this wasn’t about me. Rather it was about him and the Lord’s will. The blessing of this little life was unexpected. It was not planned on my part. But isn’t that just how the Lord works? It’s His perfect timing that provides the biggest blessings.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR INVOLVEMENT MAKING A DIFFERENCE? This ministry is a team effort for my entire family. It has been a blessing to see my family attuned to the needs of others through Jonah’s Journey as they minister to children, moms and families. We support this ministry with our time, money, prayers, encouragement of the caregivers and support of the staff in any way possible. We hope to make a difference in the lives of the children and the moms and in supporting the caregiving families.

Jonah’s Journey is a full-contact sport. But as with anything that requires commitment, there comes bigger blessings.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF JONAH’S JOURNEY? The love of Christ for both the child and the mom through Jonah’s Journey is evident. It is a true blessing for all involved. The peace of mind for mothers who have made a mistake, and despite such mistakes a “stranger” would love them enough to care for their child while providing encouragement to them. This provides a true

T H E H AG O O D FA M I LY

picture of Christ, who loves us unconditionally as well as showing love for the “least of these.”

WHAT SETS JONAH’S JOURNEY APART FROM OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS FOR YOU? While I’ve had the privilege of serving on the board and chairing various committees for the YMCA, United Way, Rotary, various foundations, hospital boards and many church leadership positions, what sets Jonah’s Journey apart for me is the opportunity we have to make an eternal difference in the lives of little children and their mothers.

LISA HERREN J O NA H’ S J O U R N E Y PRO G R A M D I R E C T O R

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o Jonah’s Journey Program Director Lisa Herren the children the program cares for have as much value as her own children.

“Caring for them makes a positive impact on their lives, their family’s life, their community and beyond,” she said.

Whether meeting with local business people, talking with families in crisis, helping caregivers transition a new child into their family, appearing before judges to advocate for a child or assisting with the reunification process between mother and child, Herren is passionate about her work.

“I got connected with Jonah’s Journey about five years ago. I first served as a volunteer, then became a caregiver, and now I am the program director. However, it was becoming a caregiver that forever changed the entire landscape of my family, and we are so blessed for it,” Herren said.

Along with her work come challenges and blessings, but she said there are far more blessings in her job than difficulties.

“What I love most about my job is working with other Christians who share a common goal of wanting to make a positive impact on as many children and families as possible.”

The Palmer Home and Jonah’s Journey team bring unique gifts to the table. Herren recognizes there is an unmistakable thread linking each person involved with Jonah’s Journey.

“God commanded us to care for children orphaned by circumstance, and every person here shares this commitment,” she said. “I’ve never had this type of experience in a work environment before.

Some days are challenging, as with any job, but sitting across a table from a team of people who share your heart for this mission makes the toughest days completely worth it.”

Herren believes the Christian community, in general, is mobilizing to make a difference. She also believes every single person has a responsibility to stand in the gap for orphans as the Bible commands us, and everyone has the ability to do something.

“We can and are making a difference. You can hear the difference in a frightened mother’s voice when you answer with, ‘Yes, we can help you.’ Interceding on behalf of a child who may have every known risk factor for a grim future and then changing the entire trajectory of their path is the difference,” said Herren.

Jonah’s Journey works with the most vulnerable, weak and at-risk children. Many have incarcerated mothers or parents in crisis due to drug addiction, extreme poverty, medical or psychiatric disorders or a combination of these.

“One of my favorite quotes is by Reverend T.D. Jakes,” Herren said. “It says, ‘One of the most dangerous things in the world is to have no purpose. Without purpose you are lost and spend years of your life living beneath your purpose and giving your strength to stuff that doesn’t matter.’ Whether it’s caring for these innocent kids or loving on a hurting mom, each person we serve matters to us, and they matter to God.”

IFAAL LM2 014 JONAH’S JOURNEY

BY ANNA BLOUNT

Privately funded, Jonah’s Journey goes well beyond meeting a child’s basic needs. Children live with Christian caregivers where they are safe and secure. The family provides stability. They love these children as their own and advocate for them. The families make a commitment to pray for and with them, as well as help cultivate a relationship with their mother/custodial parent.

According to Herren, Jonah’s Journey’s biggest need, aside from prayer, is support. “The ministry is growing and expanding its reach daily and continuing to perfect the process of taking in new children,” she said. “Jonah’s Journey desires the best training for its caregiver families, the most thorough home study process, top-notch staff, quality counseling for the children, and to provide clothes and other resources to the families. But, this takes funding.

We need your help.

“Without the support of our communities and the generosity of our caregivers, there is no way we could do what we do. However, with help, we can do more. We need our support network to be wider with more church partners, more corporate partners and more individual donors with a heart for what we do.”

Herren said working for Jonah’s Journey isn’t just a job.

“If this job didn’t affect me it would definitely be a signal that it was time to move on. I am, of course, partial, but I can’t imagine a better ministry to support, serve with, or one that makes a more important impact on lives — whether it’s the family or the child. For this season of my life, and until God directs me otherwise, this is my purpose!”

JOIN LISA & JASON: BECOME A CAREGIVER Palmer Home cares for wounded and broken children by providing physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual care.

Learn more and apply at palmerhome.org/houseparent You can mail your résumé and testimony to: Palmer Home for Children Attn: Human Resources PO Box 746 Columbus, MS 39703

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J I M M Y WAY N E

BY MICHELLE BRINSON

“I

sat alone in my room where my mama and her fourth or fifth husband had dumped me. My dad left when I was a toddler, and Mama had abandoned me several times. I’d lost count of how many men she’d had in my 14 years. A year earlier, she married off my sister, Patricia, to an older, abusive man. Patricia was just a year older than me.”

It sounds like the beginning of a sad country song; and it very well could be. Penned by singer-songwriter Jimmy Wayne in his newest book, Walk to Beautiful, this is just one of many memories he shares from a difficult childhood.

It comes in stark reflected upon a Madison Square the closing leg of October 2009.

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contrast to the public life Wayne now lives. He shining moment in the spotlight performing at Garden along with Dierks Bentley, as part of Brad Paisley’s American Saturday Night Tour in

“I had dreamed about playing on that stage since the early days,” said Wayne. “That moment wasn’t about music. That moment was for the hungry boy who asked the neighbor for food; the homeless teenager who carried around his belongings in a plastic trash bag; the young man who lost his girlfriend because he chased his dream and prayed God would bring her someone she deserved so she wouldn’t have to wait on her dreams. That moment was for the man who believed in himself and wouldn’t accept no for an answer.”

As hard as life was for Wayne, God made a way for his path to cross with Bea Costner and her husband, Russell, when he was just 16. “I know without a doubt, had it not been for Bea giving me a job and inviting me to live with them, I would be dead,” said Wayne.

“It’s hard to believe a 74-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man would reach into my life — that of a complete stranger — and give me a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, and above all else, love me unconditionally.”

Jimmy Wayne’s Walk to Beautiful is now available in hardback and eBook at smile.amazon.com or wherever books are sold.

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“I HATED LIVING. I HATED EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE. I JUST WANTED TO DIE.” BUT SOMETHING INSIDE OF HIM GAVE HIM THE DETERMINATION TO PRESS ON.

“THE DAY I KNOCKED ON THE COSTNERS’ DOOR,

MY LIFE WAS FOREVER CHANGED. IT’S TRUE THAT ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

Having spent most of his life bouncing from place to place, Wayne’s story could have turned out much differently. He and Patricia were sometimes raised in foster homes or left with other people when their mother would leave or go to jail. After being placed in a group home, he ran away and lived with his mom for a brief time before living on the street and with his sister for a short while.

“I hated my life,” he said. “I hated living. I hated everything and everyone. I just wanted to die.” But something inside of him gave him the determination to press on. “The day I knocked on the Costners’ door, my life was forever changed. It’s true that one person can make a difference.”

While the Costners weren’t state-certified foster parents, they did take in a young man who was crying for help. “They were the best parents anyone could have ever asked for. It takes a special person to be a great foster parent — someone who realizes the child he or she is receiving isn’t perfect and is carrying a lot of heavy emotional baggage and bad habits,” Wayne shared. “But that understanding and acceptance is essential if the foster parents hope to bring any sense of normalcy to the child living with them.”

The opportunity to be a part of a stable family gave Wayne the foundation he needed to choose a different path than the one he had been forced to travel. He graduated high school and went on to college where he received a degree in criminal justice. He spent

four years working in a corrections facility — all while teaching himself to sing and play the guitar.

“Although I didn’t know how I could make it happen, I made a promise to myself I was going to move to Nashville, get a record deal and write songs that speak up for kids,” he said. He landed a songwriting job in Nashville, which opened doors for record deals and now his second book.

Following his moment in the spotlight at Madison Square Garden, Wayne woke up with a burden on his heart. In January 2010, Wayne set out on his “Meet Me Halfway” campaign, walking 25 miles a day for a total of 1,660 miles solo from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness about homeless youth.

“It’s not the government’s responsibility to care for the widows and the orphans,” Wayne said. “It’s a biblical command for God’s people to care for them. The church isn’t the steeple… it’s the people. And if we aren’t holding hands and helping people, we’re not doing what God commanded us to do. This is why I care about the work Palmer Home is doing through their Whole Child Initiative and their recent partnering with Jonah’s Journey. Society no longer places a value on children. But these kids matter. Palmer Home values each and every child. They are being Jesus to these kids who are hurting, hungry and homeless. They are making a difference.”

JOIN JIMMY: MAKE AN IMPACT Palmer Home offers opportunities for you to help further the educational and social development of our children. Volunteers are also needed to assist in the everyday care of our children and facilities.

Learn more and apply at palmerhome.org/volunteer

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TWO PEOPLE ARE BETTER THAN ONE

IF EITHER OF THEM FALLS DOWN, ONE CAN HELP THE OTHER UP. BUT PITY ANYONE WHO FALLS AND HAS NO ONE TO HELP THEM. ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10 Since 1895, the Palmer Home mission has been to provide superior care for children, introduce the love of God through service and to extend that care to many more children in need.

Now, with Jonah’s Journey, the organization is offering a safe harbor to children of incarcerated mothers, in the form of a loving family.

To stay informed as Palmer Home continues its mission, subscribe to our mailing list. palmerhome.org/mailinglist

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #122 Columbus, MS

P.O. Box 746 Columbus, MS 39703-0746

Whatever the length of stay or depth of need, Palmer Home is here to extend effective, healing help. Please call us if you know children you believe could benefit by being placed at Palmer Home for Children.

Help us be better stewards of the money God has given to Palmer Home. Please notify us if you have had a change of address or would like to be removed from our mailing list.