HELPING HANDS HELPING HANDS
THE POWER OF PRAYER
LETTER FROM THE CEO
FOSTER CARE
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: JUNIOR LEAGUE OF JACKSON
CHILDREN’S PROMISE ACT
THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE
HONORARIUMS & MEMORIALS
CIRCLE OF ANGELS DONOR CLUB
By: Jordan Faison
THE POWER OF PRAYER
1 Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 5:3; Romans 8:26-27
Prayer is essential to the Christian life. Prayer is more than talking to God, it is a conversation with Him. As Christians, prayer is one of the greatest and most powerful tools we have. In Scripture, Paul says to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Oswald Chambers described prayer as “maintaining a childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart to God all the time.”
In Psalms 5:3, David says “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Jesus echoes this when he teaches about prayer. When we pray, we should pray expectantly, meaning we should expect God to answer us. When he answers, it may not be in our timing or in the way we want. But God always answers our prayers.
Scripture also says that the Holy Spirit who lives in us prays for us and intercedes for us when we cannot pray ourselves (Romans 8:26-27). The Spirit prays for us to help us in being in God’s will. But, this is not an excuse for us to stop praying. In fact, it should motivate us to want to spend more time with God.
So, what does this mean for us? As Christians we must pray. Prayer is essential to maintaining our relationship with God. Prayer is an ongoing conversation with God. It is talking with Him AND listening to Him. God always answers prayer. It is what helps us in life because when we seek his will, He guides us in the way we should go.
A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
Dear Friends:
As the end of the year approaches, I realized how fast the months have whizzed by. Not only did I become the new CEO in January, but we have experienced several other staffing changes and important policy changes, weathered some funding challenges, and of course, onboarded over 100 new kids into our program.
I am thankful for everyone connected to MCH, but especially for the kids who have overcome some enormous challenges this year. For instance, I am proud of the Spring and Fall revivals, which energized everyone’s spiritual growth The thirteen youth who gained enough personal confidence that they now have campus jobs. I’m especially proud of the children’s progress in academics, including a youth enrolling in a building trades program at a community college
Here at MCH, we are blessed with an amazing staff who serve our kids with trauma-informed care, unconditional love, and the expertise in counseling and coaching that leads them towards their dreams and goals We also couldn’t do
what we do without the dedication of our outstanding board of directors, who volunteer their time to oversee and guide our work. They love these kids as much as we do.
As we move into the season of giving, I hope you’ll consider putting our kids on your gift list. Even a small financial gift will help us decorate to raise spirits, have on hand things like wrapping paper and bows for gift giving, and buy sweet stocking stuffers that will increase our kids’ joy as we celebrate their Savior’s birth.
To all of you who have given us your prayer, gifts, and time over this past year, I extend a heartfelt thank you Without your support, we couldn’t help these deserving kids.
As Mother Teresa said, “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something ”
With blessings for a happy and joyful holiday season,
Gretchen Cook
Providing a safe home for a child.
Ministering to a child as they heal from their past abuse.
Being an advocate for a child’s education.
Creating lifetime memories.
Showing love to a child who has forgotten what that looks like.
The JOY of knowing you are making a difference!
Be 21 years or older
Must be motivated and committed to work with fragile and traumatized children that have been diagnosed with emotional, mental or physical issues. Must be single, married or legally divorced
Reliable telephone service and transportation.
Financial means to support a family. Completed all training requirements. Passed background and fingerprint checks.
If you're interested in providing a home and support for children, please contact our Foster Care Recruiter at jthompson@mchms.org or call (601) 853-5000
Junior League of Jackson Volunteering at Methodist Children’s Homes
he Junior League of Jackson has been giving back to the Jackson metro area for over 80 years Each of their projects focus on one of the three “impact areas: early literacy, children’s health, and the social development of children and youth.” In early 2010, the League adopted Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi as one of their projects to give back to the community and aid in the development of foster youth in Mississippi.
Originally from Virginia, Ha Phan, the Chair of the Methodist Children’s Homes (MCH) Service Project, shared in an interview with MCH’s Communications Coordinator that she joined the Junior League of Jackson in 2020 because of their involvement with the community. When she started her provisional year, the first service project she wanted to do was with MCH As the current Chair, she works with 15 to 18 active Junior League members to serve on a regular basis at MCH.
Over the years, the JLJ has planned countless activities. At the time Ha began volunteering with MCH, the service project was called GRACE. They worked primarily with the girls at MCH Now, the service project is called RESILIENCY which stands for Restoring, Earnest, Support, Integrity, Love, Identity, Empathy, Nurture, Courage and Youth. They work with both girls and boys. Their goal is to increase literacy and graduation rates among all youth.
Part of the RESILIENCY Program is to plan activities that are not only fun, but also, educational. The Junior League of Jackson has organized activities such as a budgeting simulation, vision boards, and college application do’s and don’ts to name a few. They have
also had guest speakers come speak to youth about their career choices and the changes they have made
Ha said the most rewarding thing about working with the youth at MCH is the rapport she and the other women of the Junior League get to build with them. “It’s rewarding because all of us get to see a smiling face each week. Eventually, they open up a little more with each visit You get to experience the highs and lows of life together ”
The youth at MCH look forward to their visits. They grow, develop, and learn every time the JLJ comes. In October, for example, the League took them to the Civil Rights Museum in downtown Jackson and they learned about desegregation and their rights.
When asked how she has seen youth grow and be positively impacted by RESILIENCY, she recalled a girl who was at MCH last year. “She always had a super positive attitude which can be hard to have as a teenager. It was fun watching her goals change throughout the year. A few months ago, someone in our group saw her in the community in her ROTC uniform It was special to see and hear that she was meeting her goals in life.”
MCH is grateful for our partnership with the Junior League of Jackson. Their commitment to making a positive impact in the Jackson Metro area is evident with each visit and activity that they plan for our youth Each of their visits helps the youth learn who they want to become and how they want to accomplish their goals.
Author: Jordan Faison, Communications Coordinator at MCH
Children's Promise Act
The Mississippi Legislature passed the Children's Promise Tax Credit legislation for individuals and businesses who support organizations that work with Mississippi's foster children.
Methodist Children's Homes is a Qualified Foster Care Charitable Organization (QFCCO) and donations to our organization are eligible for this dollar for dollar state tax credits.
The allocation of the tax credit is done through the MS Department of Revenue and is on a first-come, first serve basis. Any amount of donation qualifies for this credit up to $1,200, for individuals giving jointly. Higher rates apply to businesses.
Email Jordan Faison at jfaison@mchms.org if you would like to know more! You can also find more information on our website mchms.org under Ways to Give.
Complete the Tax Credit form (found on main page of our website) and send it to the Dept. of Revenue by email.
THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE
On October 24, 2024, Methodist Children’s Homes hosted its first ever Human Trafficking Conference. The Human Trafficking Conference was a one-day event and had 42 attendees that learned some of the best practices for caring and supporting Human Trafficking victims.
At the end of the day, there was a Panel Discussion. The panelists consisted of Dr. Cavett, Dr. Aurthur Goodwin, Chave Johnson, and Ashlee Lucas Latoya Clark-Horne emceed the discussion Attendees were given the opportunity to send in questions related to human trafficking that panelists answered and discussed.
The Conference had two keynote speakers: Guy Collins and Dr. Latibbie Johnson-Cavett. Guy is the Director of the MBI: Special Victims Unit. His presentation focused on “Human Trafficking and Related Crimes in Mississippi.” Dr Cavett is a licensed counselor with the state of Mississippi and the founder of A New You Counseling and Consulting, LLC. Her presentation focused on “How to Care for Trafficking Victims - A Clinical Perspective.”
During the conference, attendees had the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Credits for Counseling and Social Work. Four breakout sessions we offered in the morning and another four in the afternoon. Each attendee chose two of the breakout sessions to participate with . Topics ranged from “Social Work and Human Trafficking” and “Building Resilience and Empowerment” to “An Overview of Residential Care and Programming at MCH” and “Caring for Victims: A Look at SelfCare and Mental Health.” We had a total of twelve breakout leaders.
The conference was informative and helped to raise awareness of human trafficking in Mississippi. Attendees were engaged throughout the day and encouraged to participate in every session they attended. Methodist Children’s Homes plans to host more Human Trafficking Conferences on our campus. Next year’s conference date will be announced soon. Stay tuned for updates!
To help victims of human trafficking in Mississippi, you can give to Methodist Children’s Homes’ Victims of Human Trafficking Fund by scanning the QR Code below. All proceeds will go to MCH as we help human trafficking victims.
Honorariums / Memorials Honorariums / Memorials
In Honor of (Given 7/1/202410/31/2024)
Betty Jane Chatham
Jim & Helen Ormon
Aniyah and Noah Hatch
Linda Hatch
Ken Hodges
Mimi & Len Bussell, and Janet
Harris
Evelyn Hawkins Lilly
Robert M. & Cynthia W.
Wilkins
Frankie Mitchell
Ross & Rebecca Henley
Allen Neal
Martha & Will Hays
Jane Warren Shoaf
Lendy Shoaf Holder
Lynn Williams
Explorers Sunday School Class, Crossgates UMC
In Memory of
(Given 7/1/202410/31/2024)
Hailey Agnew
Clifford Mosby
Frankie Albritton
Janice Anglin
Mingon Backstrom
Belinda Roark
Mike Bounds
S.R. Bounds, Hertiage UMCD’iberville
Rebecca “Becky” Breland
Dora & Charles Findley, Jerry, Hollie, Crisler, & Nicols Torrence
Charlene Cotton
Jane Cotton Hanes
Peggy Davis
Abner Young
Francis Delmas
MontereyUMC,FlorenceMS
Katie Foose
Mary Shannon
Rev. Bryce Hatch
Robert & Christine Heath, Richard & Debra Topp
William R. Henry
Mr. & Mrs. George B. Pickett
Kelly Hutchison
Linda Hutchison
George C. Jackson, Jr.
Dorothy C. Jackson
Kathy Johnson
Nancy Chamblee
Sandra Jones
William E. Jones
In Memory of (Given 7/1/202410/31/2024)
Walter and Dorothy Lance, Angela Schrieffer, and Richard and Helen Yordy
Mr. & Mrs. William R. Yordy
Jeri Landry, Diane McPhail, and Kenneth Polk
Joyce Hall
Rev. Sale Trice Lilly, Jr.
Thomas & Constance H. Lilly
Eva P. McEwen and James L. Pierce
Frances McEwen
Prate Montgomery
Bettie Cummings
Lamar F. Noble
William N. Lancaster, Joe Posey, and Susan Puckett
Pat Noble
Mr. & Mrs. James F. Noble III
John A. Noel Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. John Dennery, William
S. Ezelle, Tish & Haden Hughes, Cindy Maddox, Mr. & Mrs. Eric
McDonald, Trudy & Sidney
McLaurin, Mr. & Mrs. George B. Pickett, Jr., Hubby T. Saunders, John R. Wright Jr, and the Clinton
Genealogical and Historical Society
Aubrey Pendergrass
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Anderson, Sr..
Lou Perritt
John E. Perritt
L. R. Poole
S.R. Bounds
In Memory of (Given 7/1/202410/31/2024)
Rev. Kelly E. Pope
Edwin & Ouida Alford, Greg & Rhonda Arnold, Bob Atkins, Stuart & Mary Liz Austin, Doug &Jackie Baker, Mae C Bozeman, Jimmie Cannon, David and Elizabeth Clemmer, Mr. & Mrs. John B. Collier, Murray Claire Cox, Barbara Davis, Michael Dunagin, Lacey Hedgepeth, Kay Kiger, Albert & Sherry King III, Richard & Anne Lindsey, Jerry & Edith
Madden, Mark & Pam Magee, Mr. and Mrs. Tony Monk, Dave & Sara Morrow, Betty C. Murphey, Nancy Nordon, Ann, Douglas, & Derek Salter, Doug & Carol Somerville, Judith & Leon Stewart, Dorothy Terry, Mr. & Mrs. James E. Woods,
The Ladies Circle: Byhalia UMC
Shelia Puryear
Lamar Puryear
Will Rivers
Ken and Linda McCaskill
Johnnie Thomas
E. S. and Jane Woodruff
Dovie Anderson Watts
Exchange Club of Batesville and First Security Bank
Valerie Zadzielski
Dora and Charles Findley
Thank you for choosing MCH to honor and memorialize your loved ones to help change lives of children and youth in Mississippi!
CIRCLE OF ANGELS CIRCLE OF ANGELS
CIRCLE OF ANGELS
Angels of Light
Gifts of $1,000 and above each year
Angels of Hope
Gifts of $500 - $999 each year
Angels of Healing
Gifts of $250 - $499 each year
Angels of Love
Gifts of $100 - $249 each year
In June, we launched our NEW donor club: Circle of Angels Members of the club will be recognized in our next newsletter. If you give $100 or more by the next publication, you will be publicly acknowledged and appreciated by Methodist Children’s Homes Also, donors who give $5,000 or more will be permanent members of the club
Become a member now:
Circle of Angels Donor Club Circle of Angels Donor Club
Angels of Love Angels of Healing Angels of Hope Angels of Light
Joe Adams
Walter Allred
B. F. Anderson
Nila Anderson
Greg & Rhonda Arnold
Bob Atkins
Dwight Austin
Frank Bailey
Phillip J. Bailey
Bonnie Baldwin
Douglas Beard
Dean Belk
Cathy Bell
Florence Box
Ann Britt
C. F. Brittenum
Martha Brumfield
John & Betty
Cadwallader
Thomas Cain
Norma Caviness
Frank Chiles
Richard Clark
Robert Coker
John & Barbara Collier
Vicki Conerly
Thomas Cumberland
Christine Cunningham
Thomas Daughdrill
Kathy Davis
Hill Denson
William Dunn
Michael Easterling
Eugene Elmore
Melissa Eatherly
Thomas Evans
Joe Ferguson
H Ashcraft
Ashley & Gaye
Atikinson
Douglas Beard
Leslie & Joel Bobo
Willie Bobo
Charles Boggan
Mae Bozeman
Deborah Bracey
Jay Brantley
Gregory Butler
Shay Caviness
Wilkins & Barbara
Crawford
Sherri Davis
Gail Derryberry
Kate Eddy
James Farris
Gail Fulton
Kirk & Susan Graves
Jane Hanes
Janet Harris
Linda Hatch
Richard & Lucy Henley
Will Henley II
John & Joy Ann
Hennessey
Waldo Hitt
Robert Lawson Holladay
James W. Hunt, Jr.
Linda Hutchison
Bobby M. James
Ann Bryan Jameson
Ben Jones
William & Sandra Jones
Devon & Jacquline
Loggins
Lisa Agent
William Ayers
Brian Bennett
Charles Boggan
Betty Jane Chatham
Joe Cox Jr.
Julian Crawford
John Mac & Martha
Curlee
Donald Dodd
Christine D. Fielder
Will S. Henley, II
Thomas Holderer
Kim Hoover
William Earl Hunt
James McCaleb
Frances McEwen
Rosemary McInnis
Joelyn Miller
Daniel Murphey
Alfred Pace
Joan Pepper
Lamar Puryear
Claude Raworth
James & Ruby Simpson
Jerry Skipper
Carrie Smith
Lisa Smith
Janice Spence
Valerie Sullivan
James Tansey
Carol & Clifton Taylor
Jameson Taylor
Catherine Tramel
Marc & Ellen Treadway
Bonnie Turner
Cynthia Ware
Michael Adcock
Donna Kaye Armshaw
Elena Barham
Bruce & Ann Bartling
Deborah Bennett
Rebecca Boswell
Belle Buckley
Eugene Buzderewicz
Gloria Cranford
Marolyn Davison
Celeste Ellis
Greg Freeman
Don Garforth
Greg Geno
John & Robin Gourley
Albert Green
Glenn Harmon
Rickey Haynes
Ross Henley
Frank Hensley
Ken Hodges
William Earl Hunt
Jared Johnson
Barbara Keenum
Herbert King
Christina Lakey
John & Stephanie Land
Mark Lehman
Thomas G Lilly
Robert Logan
Bryan Lott
Dana Lyle
James Mason
Michael McMahen
Michael McSparrin
Chuck Meador
(Continued on next page ) (Continued on next page ) (Continued on next page )
(Continued on next page )
Circle of Angels Donor Club Circle of Angels Donor Club
Angels of Love Angels of Healing Angels of Hope Angels of Light
Dora Findley
Elizabeth Fisackerly
Sandra Fowler
Hank & Michele
Franklin
Bradley Freeny
Rita French
Bill Gray
Heyward & Carolyn
Green
Kathy Green
Cecil Grisham
Jane Hanes
Charlotte B. Harding
Cecil Harper
Jack Harris
William J. Hays, II
Lacey Hedgepeth
Sherrill Heidelberg
Kathryn Henderson
Thomas Henderson
Michael Hicks
Kay Risher Hill
Kathy Hilton
Donna Hinton
B. T. Holder
Cristyn Holder
Bobby Howell
Peter Hubbard
Debbie Hughes
Tish Hughes
Kalena Hunley
Jimmy & Linda
Huntley
Dorothy C. Jackson
Otis Johnson
Kim Jones
(Continued on next page )
Mary Lowery
Larry Marett
Joe R. Moore
Mary Moore
Osler Moore
W. C. Murphy
Ethel Nunnery
Kathy Nye
Brooks Odom
Edith Perry
Bill and Nora Pierce
William Rhodes
Frances Savage
Jackie Smith
Lyndall Snyder
Guy Stephenson
Jerry Sullivan
Granville Tate
Allen Terrell
Marcus Treadway
William Waddell
Carol Walker
Robert Wilkins
John Wright Jr
Joy Wright
Wesley Ware
Robert Warner
W. Dal Williamson
William & Karen Yordy
Abner Young
Charles Nicholson
Shane & Theresa Ormon
William & Exie Pratt
Juanita Pressley
Joseph Richardson
Edwin Sallis
Robert Sessums
Al’Dasmine Sims
Elizabeth Sistrunk
Gary & Lisa Smith
Peggy Jane Smith
Milton & Wendi Steadham
Christian Taylor
Worth Thomas
Joyce Titus
J. Murray Underwood
Karen Wagner
Mark Wakefield
Karen Welford
Randall West
Betty Williams
Allen & Charlene Wood
Elizabeth Young
Allison Youngblood
Steven Zachow
Circle of Angels Donor Club Circle of Angels Donor Club
Angels of Love
Dolphus Kelly
Albert & Sherry King III
Ann King
Paul King
Danny Knight
Robert Knight
Judy Lacy
John Lancaster
Cynthia Lauderdale
Elizabeth H. Lauderdale
Susan Lauderdale
Clayton Leech
Michael K. Lloyd
J & K Long
Joe Magee
Marcella McKay
William McMahon
Tessa Minchew
Joe Moore
David & Sara Morrow
Hong Nguyen
Patsy Oakes
James Oaks
Charlotte Odom
Jim Ormon
Leslie Ortego
Edwin Parker
Stacy Parvin
Jonathan Pennington
Dennis & Sandra
Perkins
John Perritt
George Pickett
Joe Posey
Ray Powell
Susan Puckett
Jan Randle
Karen Redhead
Bobby & Rebecca Reed
Wanda Regan
Irl Rhodes
Cary & Linda Rickman
Belinda & G. Allen
Roark
Jeanni Robertson
Carole Rucker
William Rutherford
Jasmine Shipp
Steve Shirley
Lillous F. Shoemaker
Cathy Sibley
Betty Skinner
Merril Slater
Shelia C. Smith
J. D. Stephenson
Leon Stewart
Jean Stout
J. Ken Stringer
John Sullivan
George Taquino
Helen Tenhet
Morris Thigpen
James E. Thomas
Janet Tissue
Todd & Debra
Trenchard
Elizabeth Tucker
Kelly Tucker
Todd Underwood
Todd & Debra Vaughan
John Vickers
Kevin Walters
Sarah Walton
Carol Williams
Bonnie Weatherly
Julian Wiener
Marcie Wilson
Lyle B. Woodmansee
James E. Woods
Sid L. Worthy
Craig York
Dan Young
Connect
TO OUR FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS FROM OUR PARTNERING CHURCHES,
Methodist Children’s Homes is grateful for each of supporters and partnerships. We want to strengthen our relationships with all of our donors. Our goal is to provide hope and healing to the children of Mississippi through Jesus Christ and we cannot do that without you! You are a crucial to the success of MCH
WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED TO MCH...
Invite us to speak! We would honored to speak to your church, church groups, clubs, and schools. Every opportunity we have to talk about the ministry of Methodist Children’s Homes and what the Lord is doing in the lives of the youth we serve is truly exciting and special to us!
Donate! Giving to Methodist Children’s Homes is giving hope and healing to children and youth who are in foster care. You can help MCH in caring for our youth by donating today You can can also help fundraise and donate items such as hygiene products, towels and wash clothes, school supplies, and more!
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805 N Flag Chapel Road
Jackson, MS 39209