On December 3rd, Boys Home of Virginia will kick off the holidays by celebrating our 2019 #GivingTuesday campaign BOOKS FOR THE BOYS! The Boys Home library is in need of updating and repopulating their shelves. All donations made for #GivingTuesday will help us provide the books necessary to challenge, inspire, and encourage these young men to read, learn and envision themselves being a positive impact on the world around them. Begin the giving season by giving back! Once Black Friday is over, Small Business Saturday is past, and Cyber Monday is complete, please don’t forget about #GivingTuesday and our BOOKS FOR THE BOYS campaign!
Recently, seven members of the Northside Baptist Church youth group, along with group leaders Bob and Karen Mills and chaperones Trudy Carlton and Lyn Folk, spent the week of July 22 – 26 at Boys Home of Virginia, helping with a variety of activities and projects across campus. All the Boys Home students enjoyed their time with the visitors.
The group brought a remarkable energy to campus during their time at Boys Home, participating in the morning summer enrichment program, afternoon work projects, and evening praise and worship sessions. During summer enrichment, youth group members were paired with students to help with reading fluency and math flashcards. With the addition of new friends, Boys Home students were energized and happy to learn. After lunch when the weather permitted, the youth group helped painted the pergola outside the administration building, often with the help of several of the Boys Home students. On rainy afternoons, they helped with office work and cleaned and organized the clothing room. Each evening, the group offered praise and worship sessions for all who were interested, including songs, a reflection, and prayer. Most Boys Home students participated, especially since praise and worship sessions were followed by group games around campus!
Although Northside Baptist is located several hours away from Covington in Mechanicsville, the church has had a connection with Boys Home for years through Bob Mills, a member of the church, an alum of Boys Home, and the alumni representative on the Boys Home Board of Trustees. When Bob and his wife Karen got involved with the youth group summer mission trips, they decided that Boys Home would be a great place for a trip. They hope to bring the youth group to Boys Home every couple years to help on campus and catch up with old friends!
On July 3rd, Boys Home’s Director of Support Services and retired Army Master Sergeant Bobby Trice received the official certificate of a Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan. Colonel Paul Linkenhoker presented the certificate in a ceremony on the Boys Home campus.
During the ceremony, Bobby spoke of his early years at Boys Home in which he attended Callaghan Elementary. While attending Callaghan, he had a desk in Mr. Linkenhoker’s office, in order to continue learning while being scolded. Years later, Bobby is grateful to Colonel Linkenhoker and everyone who helped him get where he is today. Quoting Aristotle, he said, “the roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Bobby’s family and the Boys Home staff and students attended the ceremony.
Summer at Boys Home is a time for summer camps, visits home to see family, and welcoming new friends to campus! This past week, June 23 – 27, Boys Home hosted a group of five people from St. Michael and All Angels’ parish in Columbia, South Carolina. The group had a productive week building raised beds, helping build a tool shed, and painting several fences on the farm, including the fence around the riding ring.
Constructed in 2017 to provide a safer surface for students to learn to ride on, the fence around the riding ring remained unpainted as the newly cut lumber dried. Now, thanks to the mission group’s hard work, the riding ring and the surrounding fences on campus look beautiful and fresh.
Father Charles Smith, rector at St. Michael and All Angels’ parish, learned about Boys Home from his great-aunt, whose husband had been a Boys Home resident. Several years ago, wanting to inspire his congregation to become more mission-minded, Father Charles suggested a mission trip, and Boys Home was a natural choice. This year’s group included three new participants, all of whom were happy to be here, learn more about Boys Home, and meet some of the students.
Visiting for the past several years, one thing Father Charles appreciates is seeing the boys grow and mature over time. While staff members recognize and celebrate students’ growth on a daily basis, visiting once each year brings a new perspective. Boys Home is grateful for that perspective, for the beautiful paint around the fences on the farm, and for such kind, friendly faces!
Boys Home students began their summer with a fun-filled week, thanks to a mission group from Virginia Beach. From Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21, Galilee Episcopal Church hosted a full week of sports and fun on and off campus. The group, led by Marty O’Rourke, Duff McDuffie, and Nichole Farbod, included twelve members of the Galilee youth group, several of whom had participated in previous years’ mission trips to Boys Home.
“I’m here because I was here two years ago, and I love sports, and I love helping people, and I heard this was a really good way to get involved with all that,” said Isabelle Weiss, a member of the group.
Mornings during the week were devoted to sports. The group started with a variety of skill-building drills, and later everyone would participate in a game. Students learned the basics of rugby, lacrosse, and soccer; for some, this was their first introduction to one or more of the sports!
As the temperatures warmed up in the afternoons, the boys and the mission group got to have some adventures in and around the area. Everyone had a great time kayaking on the Jackson River, staying cool at ACE Adventure Park in Beckley, and going down a huge slip ’n slide set up on the hill by the Wheatley Center.
The week ended with an awards ceremony on Friday evening. Marty and the mission group recognized the students for their participation with a variety of awards, such as the “Heart of Gold” award. Some students were presented with a soccer ball.
Boys Home boys really enjoyed their time with the mission group from Galilee. One resident described the week as “awesome and amazing,” and another already asked if they can stay for two weeks next year!
Soccer drills out on the fieldFun at ACE Adventure Park
