A few words from Hope House...

Here is a letter we received from Hope House last year:

"The children and mothers at Hope House are very grateful for the parties brought to our facility by the Caring Candles ministry at Wesley. Many of our children had never experienced a party especially for children. They have come from environments where children are just supposed to stay out of the way. They are in awe of all the trouble these folks have gone to to bring them joy. Every party has been a hit with special crafts and foods. We even had a fabulous magician one time! [now it's been twice ;] The children and mothers were entranced by the magic -- they still talk about it.

"Our children are very special to us, of course. They've come to us from homes where their lives were full of uncertainty and the adults unpredictable. We provide a safe, supportive environment where children can reach their full potential. We've watched children who have never spoken start talking. We've watched babies who were developmentally delayed catch up and surpass the normal expectations. We had one little boy recently tell his mother that there are no monsters at Hope House like there were at his old house. He told her he's in a safe place now.

"That's our goal. We want all the children to feel that Hope House is a safe place with adults they can trust. The people who come from Wesley are great role models for that. Thank you for letting our children know how special they are, and that it can be fun to be a kid."

May 2010 Party Update

Wow! What a night of magic and fun! As usual, Magic Mike was the consummate showman, even with his microphone on the fritz. He delighted and surprised even the most skeptical audience members. As is often the case for the kids who come to Hope House, there is an absence of positive male role models in their lives. We are happy that Magic Mike could bring such joy to them while he was there.

Special thanks to all of the volunteers who helped with last night's party. Thank you so much! Last night could not have happened without your help.

There are several birthdays coming up for the kids at Hope House over the next few months, so there will be lots of fun to come!!

April 2010 Party Update

The Garden Party at Hope House was a very fun and happy event, even more so because of you! The kids seemed to really enjoy playing Musical Lily Pads and Foot Volleyball, planting their own "grassheads" and making handprint flowers on the two paper murals. The fresh veggies, dip, cheese, crackers and dirt cakes were a big hit, too! The especially loved the worms ;)

A special thanks to our volunteers for coming to the prep meeting, making snacks, purchasing items, and/or helping out at the party!!