When you hear “children’s home” you think, “fancy name for an orphanage.” Totally not true for Woodburn Christian Children’s Home. This is a special place where staff, volunteers and churches invest in the lives of the children and young adults in order to touch the future in a positive way. And they have proved successful in helping families and children reach their best potential. This is a place that helps by coming alongside the family in order to help raise their children. It’s unique.
History
Woodburn Christian Children’s Home (WCCH) was founded in 1972 by Robert and Pauline Nelson, two people with a vision and calling from God. Robert felt led to open a children’s home. However, it didn’t happen right away, he had to persevere. He tried to open a home in several different places, but it wasn’t until he came to Woodburn, IN that he found the right place. Robert and Pauline’s first campus consisted of an administrative residence and one eight bedroom home on nine acres of land. They both supported Woodburn even after their retirement until the day they journeyed home to Heaven.
In the past 49 years of WCCH, only three other men held the title of executive director, Lee Strang, Lee Bracey and presently, Joe Heins. During this time, WCCH built another children’s house, a pantry and bought 24 more acres. They have also put into place the Legacy Fund which is an endowment to ensure that any child in need of help will be accepted into the program, even if the family cannot help pay the costs of the child’s stay.
The Program
WCCH currently has capacity for 20 children, housed in two homes. The children come from single-parent homes, grandparents, and even from homes where an international adoption was made, but the child is not adjusting well. “According to the children’s home, 80% of residents have guardians other than biological parents (Bassett, 2021).” The children come to live at WCCH because they are having trouble and the family/guardian they are living with is unable to help the child, or because of circumstances, the child has nowhere to live. Therefore, an option is for the child to come and live at WCCH with all the resources available to positively improve the well-being of the child.
The WCCH program from the beginning has been based on five core values as listed on their website:
• WCCH, a ministry of Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, is broadly supported by the Christian community throughout the tristate area [Indiana, Ohio, Michigan].
• WCCH accepts no public funds but is entirely funded by private donations.
• WCCH accepts only private placements referred primarily through churches.
• WCCH provides a home to children regardless of their ability to pay.
• WCCH integrates the Christian faith into every-day life. No part of our daily life will be separated from the expression of our faith.
When a child is brought to the home, he/she is evaluated and carefully placed in a home. The placement involves consideration not only of the new child, but also how this child will meld with the existing family of children and the house parents. Their “goal is to provide a Christian home and to minister to children and families on physical, educational, emotional and spiritual levels (WCCH).”
They achieve these goals by the structure and care given to the children. Each house is set up like an average home with parents and their children. They eat meals together around the table and each child has their own bedroom. The children get to experience a Christian home with parents who love them, invest in them and work with them to help them have a positive future.
The length of stay for each child depends on each child’s individual situation. Some children are able to go back to their biological families while others stay until they graduate from high school. If a child stays until he/she graduates, he/she will have an opportunity to go to college or into the work force. If a child gets accepted into college, WCCH will pay for the textbooks for the first year if needed. The children are not just booted out on the streets when they graduate. WCCH tries to help the child transition from the home into independent living.
Funding and Support
Not only do the churches and private donations financially fund WCCH, but they also donate the food and other goods needed for the families. WCCH also hosts several fund-raising events throughout the year as well. One of those events will take place this Saturday, October 16th at the Woodlan High School. There will be a silent auction and dinner at 4:00 and a live auction at 5:00. Not only churches but also the community donate the items to be auctioned.
Pantry Stories
All food items donated are stored in the pantry building. The food is regularly rotated to make sure nothing goes to waste. This isn’t always easy, especially when a food is donated that isn’t particularly desirable to the children.
There was a time when the house parents would send a child into the pantry to get cereal for breakfast. Of course, the children would always come back with the “fun” cereal. Pretty soon, there was a surplus of Corn Flakes that needed to be eaten. Vivian Bracey, (wife of the executive director, Lee Bracey at the time) was in charge of the pantry. She took all the “fun” cereal and put them in a box and put the box on a high shelf that was only accessible by a ladder. She told the children, after the Cornflakes were all eaten, then she would get down the other cereal. Of course, the boxes of Cornflakes were disappearing until finally they were all gone. Vivian then got the box down containing what she thought was the other cereal. Much to her chagrin, the box was filled with all the boxes of cornflakes! The children had been climbing the ladder and switching the boxes of cereal! Children will be children. After telling this story to a supporting church, a woman from the church gave Vivian a recipe for Cornflake cookies.
Not only are pantry items donated, but also meat from local farms. Once a farmer had a pig that had broken a leg so he had the pig butchered. However, he didn’t have room to store the meat. The butcher knew of WCCH and suggested that he donate the meat to them. The farmer thought that was a great idea. Word got around, and now not just pork but also beef is donated by local farmers on a regular basis.
Strong and Courageous Building Campaign
WCCH is always looking for ways to improve their facility and program for the benefit of their children. Currently, they are running the Strong and Courageous Building Campaign in order to raise money for another ten bedroom house and a multi-purpose learning center. This will allow WCCH the ability to increase the capacity of children to 30. The multi-purpose building will be used for academic tutoring, counseling, indoor fitness, behavior development workshops, community involvement and a chapel for worship. This campaign has two phases. The first phase is the building of the multi-purpose building. Phase Two is the building of the additional house. Already, 60% of Phase One has been financed, with all the steel for the building being donated.
Woodburn Christian Children’s Home is a place that invests in its children and their families. It has been a blessing to the town of Woodburn, and the community has been a blessing to the home. Together, God has used them and its supporters to be His emissaries to these children who have had a rough time, but are able to heal and live positive lives because of His love shown to them through the staff, house parents and volunteers.
*I wrote about Woodburn Christian Children’s Home because I was having lunch with one of my readers and I was telling her about the home. She thought it would make an interesting story. I hope, that this blog post will help support WCCH. If you are reading this and looking for a place to make a difference in the world, please think about being a financial supporter, a volunteer, a prayer partner, and ask God where He sees you helping out here. You can click on the WCCH widget located on every page of my website and go directly to their home page. Please prayerfully consider becoming a part of the WCCH “family.”
Resources:
Bassett, K. 2021. Children’s Home Receives Support from Area Organizations, Business, Individuals. The Star. Retrieved on Oct. 15, 2021 from https://www.kpcnews.com/thestar/article_7e7ec7bc-fff7-5802-a655-56e011072487.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
Bracey, L. Oct. 6, 2021. Personal Interview.
Woodburn Christian Children’s Home Website. https://www.wcchonline.org
Photo Credit: All photos and videos are from Woodburn Christian Children’s Home Website. https://www.wcchonline.org/
