Windwood Farm Home for Children
We have something wonderful to smile about!
From the desk of Debbie McKelvey
Executive Director
August 2011
Dear Friends,
We wanted to take the time out of our hectic end of the summer schedule to let you know how much we appreciate your support and to let you know what you are helping us to achieve. We are continuing to provide a full range of residential treatment interventions to the boys who reside with us. Each boy who was discharged from our treatment program during the past year left in the arms of a family member. Even our youngest boys who had rarely made an appearance in the classroom before coming to us, adapted to the rigors of learning their numbers, letters, and colors! For all the boys, academic achievement was historic! Everyone made great strides in their studies and in their display of appropriate behaviors. We couldn’t be prouder of them. During their summer break, they were busy taking swimming lessons, attending Vacation Bible School, going on community outings, fishing in the ponds, socializing with on campus visitors, learning how to cook with the vegetables they are growing, and enjoying just being boys!
Help, Hope, Healing. That is what goes on every day on our beautiful 110-acre residential campus in Awendaw. The natural beauty and surroundings of our 110-acre campus with its access to the Wando River, several ponds, nature trails, a wide variety of animals, fitness trail and obstacle course, along with our challenge course and an on-campus education center provides us with a variety of intervention options. On his way to becoming a productive member of our community, each young man is given the opportunity to overcome past traumas. We offer a unique approach to the healing process; it is truly a lifeline for at-risk children. Therapies geared to increase problem solving, anger management, and frustration tolerance increases the child's ability to achieve a successful completion of our program. We incorporate our natural surrounding and our animals into the therapeutic process. Helping us to keep the house tidy, tending to our vegetable garden or bee keeping, assisting in caring for our menagerie of farm animals, interacting with volunteers who offer outlets for social skill enhancement, and participating in “Adopt a Highway”, are all ways we help to instill a sense of family and community in each child. The results are phenomenal!
For family members of children placed in our residential programs, we have recently invited parents to spend the night on our campus. Our new “Parent Suites” offer comfortable arrangements that allow a parent to have additional quality time interacting with their child while experiencing life on the farm! Families share in meals, participate in therapeutic interventions and can ride bikes, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. This allows the parents to get a front row seat to view their child’s everyday interactions with peers and staff too!
Recently South Carolina ranked 45th in ensuring child well-being. We simply cannot stand aside and allow this to continue. Children should never be left to protect or provide for themselves or others. That is the role of responsible adults. Our state’s leaders have issued a call to arms to develop more community based initiatives to increase the well-being of children in our state. We must respond to this call and ensure that the idea of “keeping children safe” is not an empty phrase left on a piece of paper.
For anyone who questions whether or not miracles happen, I invite you to come visit us. At Windwood Farm, miracles happen every day! The smiles on the face of a child who has overcome exposure to horrific living situations, extreme abuse and neglect, substance abuse, or physical cruelty, tells a compelling story. Our boys are living proof that lives can be changed, that character can be built, and that success lies at the feet of those who embrace the tools offered to them to move forward. Over the past 26 years, 450 boys have called Windwood Farm their home. Many of them still call us to “check-in”. I know they want to know how we are doing just as much as we want to know how they are!
With sinking state resources to provide the services needed to affectively make positive changes in the lives of the children and families we serve, at times if feels as though we are the lone solider in the war against child abuse. Those thoughts are quickly dispelled when I answer the phone, look through the mail, or see the cars of volunteers driving onto our campus. We feel your support with every success we experience! Along with our staff, your belief in our mission is the ingredient that makes all the difference in the world for the children who come to Windwood Farm. A special and resounding Thank You goes out to each of you who have loyally supported our programs and services. You have opened your hearts and shared in fellowship with us. You have made all of us feel as though we are one of your most cherished friends. We are proud to know you are part of our family. Knowing how much you care and that you are a part of our team helps us to persevere on our journey to end child abuse and neglect in South Carolina.
Joseph L. Tamsberg, Jr. Deborah D. McKelvey, MA Chairman of the Board of Directors Executive Director
