Uncategorized

Congratulations to Brittany Jefferson for 5 Years of Service

Congratulations to Brittany Jefferson for five years of service at Boys Home of Virginia!

Brittany is no stranger to Boys Home. When Brittany was growing up, her mother and father were houseparents in Brown cottage. Following in their footsteps, Brittany is now a houseparent in Watkins Cottage. Watkins Cottage is Boys Home’s elementary level cottage. Brittany’s father is still at Boys Home and works as Campus Life Manager. Brittany’s mother is a special education teacher in the public school system.

Brittany graduated from Covington High School in 2010 and then began classes at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College while working as a lifeguard at the YMCA. After her time at DSLCC, Brittany worked at the Shenandoah Autism Center for one year. She enjoyed her time there but decided to come back to Boys Home as it was a familiar place and somewhere she called “home.”

One of Brittany’s favorite things about working at Boys Home is the time with the students during the holidays. She says it is so heart warming to see the students so excited about the season. Brittany says during the holidays, you see a completely different side of the students.

Brittany says what she looks forward to advancing and growing in her career at Boys Home. The administration is grateful for Brittany’s dedication to the mission of Boys Home of Virginia.

Jennifer Holestin Recognized for 25 Years of Service to Boys Home

Jennifer Holestin receives recognition for 25 years of service to Boys Home of Virginia. Jennifer has held other positions at Boys Home throughout her time but now works in the business office as accounts payable clerk. When asked about Jennifer as an employee, Director of Support Services Bobby Trice says, “Jennifer has dedicated 25 years of her life to the mission of Boys Home and the young men we serve. She is meticulous in her duties and is always willing to help a student or fellow coworker. It takes an element of sacrifice and a true belief in the work you do to stay with an organization that long. I’m extremely proud of her and the work she does. Jennifer has been a part of the Boys Home family for a long time, and I look forward to working with her for years to come.” Jennifer says the favorite aspect of her job are the people she gets to work with each day. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Director of Support Services Bobby Trice presents certificate to Jennifer Holestin

Jack Mason’s Tavern Partners with the Community to Benefit Boys Home of Virginia

Nine years ago, Martha Atherholt and Wendy Hudler opened Jack Mason’s Tavern, a neighborhood eatery in Clifton Forge, Virginia, named for Martha’s grandfather. In November, their enterprise expanded when they created a brewery next door. The name was appropriately changed to Jack Mason’s Tavern and Brewery.

Ever mindful of the community that supports their business, they immediately began considering ways to make a meaningful contribution to the area. The Five-Cents-Per-Pint program was initiated, focusing on four area nonprofit organizations over a six-month period. When a customer purchases one of their locally-brewed beers at the tavern, they are given a token. As they leave, there are four boxes with the names of four nonprofits on them. The customer surveys the options and deposits a token in the box of their choice. At the end of six months, checks are sent to the four organizations and new nonprofits are selected for the next six months.

Boys Home of Virginia was one of the four organizations chosen for the first six-month period. Wendy says that one of the benefits of the experience is the ability to speak to customers about the non-profits featured and to introduce people from out of town to some of the helping agencies in the area. Martha mentioned that some customers elected not only to deposit their tokens in a box, but also placed money in them to be donated to the organization. When asked why Jack Mason’s initiated the program, Wendy didn’t hesitate to respond. “It’s the right thing to do. People have supported us over the years.”

Interestingly, Boys Home has benefitted from the efforts of the Mason family in generations past. Just inside the doors of the administration building on the main campus of Boys home is a plaque naming the building after George Floyd Rogers, the founder of Boys Home.  Also on that plaque is a listing of the trustees during 1964, the time of the building’s dedication. There is listed the name of Mrs. Jack Mason, Martha’s grandmother. It seems that the practice of contributing to Boys Home began several generations ago with Martha’s grandmother and continues to this day. 

We are grateful that Martha and Wendy chose Boys Home of Virginia as one of their charity partners. Thanks also to the customers who participated in the program and selected Boys Home as the recipient of their tokens.