Josh Brown says he has known about Boys Home for as long as he can remember. As a young person being raised in the Alleghany Highlands and a student in the Alleghany Public School system, he attended school with many of the residents of Boys Home.
Brown graduated from Alleghany High School in 1996 and went to work with a landscaping company in Blacksburg. While learning the trade, he met his wife who was attending Radford University at the time. He has over 25 years of experience in landscaping and management.
After some time working and living in Roanoke, Brown and his wife moved back to the area in December of 2015. The plan was to take over the family farm – a 330-acre sustainable forest – which they have done. In addition, Brown found a position at Boys Home and was hired as the landscape manager. He says he was approached shortly thereafter to manage some outdoor activities for the students.
To say that Brown enjoys his position may be an understatement. “It’s a dream job,” he stated. “There are a lot of really great days being outside, getting my hands dirty, and helping the young men at Boys Home realize their potential.”
When asked to share a few thoughts, Brown’s supervisor, Director of Support Services Robert Trice, shared that, “Josh is our go-to for everything outdoors. He plans and executes the hiking, camping and kayaking trips that our students love so much. He is a trustworthy and dependable employee that is a pleasure to work with.”
Brown shared that the benefits of being at Boys Home are really twofold: “I signed up to be the landscape manager, a career that I love, but I also have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of these young men, teaching them and experiencing the things that I love. How much more fun can you have?”
Click here for more information about Boys Home, or you can donate online at givetoboyshome.org.
