|
Dear Friends,
I hope that each
and every one of you experienced an abundance of joy and cheer this
holiday season. As I reflect on 2007 at TLC, I am reminded of how
grateful I am to witness so many stories of hope and giving.
Many of you
offered your help this year to our holiday giving program by
bringing in items, donating gift cards and adopting one of our wish
lists. The youth and families in our foster care, residential and
family case management programs were so grateful for all you did!
“Mary” a youth
who suffers from depression and has attempted to commit suicide,
recently came to stay at TLC. When making her holiday wish list she
simply asked for a “donation to her church” and other items for her
family. Because of her selflessness and thanks to one of our donors,
this young lady received a brand new electric guitar for Christmas.
Mary was so excited she screamed when she was given this amazing
gift.
Many of our
youth and families have never experienced a Christmas like they had
this year and it's all thanks to TLC supporters. I cannot express
enough thanks and gratitude for this outpouring of support!
Many blessings
in the New Year,
Bob Drummond,
Ed.D
President and
CEO
Changing Lives...
TLC Clients asked to Dream Big this
Holiday
The
holidays were special this year for many clients served by TLC's
programs. TLC has been working with donors over the past few months
to collect items for close to 100 families and youth.
Each
child in TLC's Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility and foster
care program as well as each family member in the Family Case
Management program were asked to make a wish list of ten items. The
youth and families were told to “dream big” when thinking of the
items they would want for the holidays.
As
donors called in asking how they could help, TLC staff along with
volunteer, Kathy Vetter, assigned out wish lists and items to many
individuals, churches and businesses in the community. During the
week of December 12th items were dropped off and TLC's conference
room was filled with gifts such as toys, clothes, bikes and gift
cards.
 
TLC's
Foster Care program opened thier gifts at a special holiday party
hosted by Antioch Church on December 15th. The families enjoyed
food, games, fellowship, prize drawings and a visit from Mr. and
Mrs. Santa Clause.
The
youth in TLC's two Psychiatric Residential Treatment facilities
opened their gifts at a party on December 19th. While the youth were
at school staff set up food, stockings and gifts in TLC's two campus
homes.
  
THANK
YOU to everyone who helped
to make this a
great holiday!
Comments from our FCM
Families
when they
received their gifts:
“I was afraid my
baby's first Christmas would be awful, but you all at TLC made this
Christmas a great time for our family.”
“People are just so
nice, I mean people you don't know are so nice; I can't believe how
much help I have been offered”
“We didn't
even have a Christmas Tree last year. I don't know why we've
been blessed with all this when there are so many people who need
help, but I'm so grateful for it.”
“God Bless
You. Please tell everyone that made this possible how much we
appreciate it. This has been a tremendous help to our family.”
“I feel like I've been
sent guardian angels. Thank you so much!”
SHINING STARS...
Recognizing Special
Volunteers
California Trail holds coffee house for
TLC
Anne Burch and
the California Trail Student Library Board came up with a fun and
creative way to support the kids at TLC. The students got together
and decided to have a Morning Coffee House at their school. Two
California Trail students put on a live jazz performance while other
students sold muffins and hot chocolate that parents generously
donated.
The group was
able to raise $350 to buy various gift cards for the kids at
TLC! Over the holiday break, many youth stayed at TLC's
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Centers, so the gift cards to
laser tag, bowling and movies kept them pretty busy. The
Student Library Board also brought books to give the youth. The kids
were so excited and so was the staff, it is always great to see kids
helping other kids! Thank you California Trail!
Community Relations Coordinator, Hayley Hayes
along with The
California Trail Student Library Board.
TLC receives grant from Verizon Wireless
TLC recently
received a $30,000 grant from Verizon Wireless for new client
management software. This new software will help TLC more
efficiently track the services that impact the thousands of children
we will serve in 2008. It will also reduce the staff's time spent
doing repetitive documentation tasks.
Verizon
Wireless devotes significant time and resources to programs that
target specific groups of people who experience abuse and those
organizations that serve them. Their generosity to TLC will ensure
that we are able to effectively serve the youth and families that
come to us in need of services this year!
| 
