StoneWater members Dale Alexander, an Arlington firefighter, and his wife Christie have served together at Camp Stepping Stone where Christie currently enjoys encouraging second and third grade girls.
“I’ve always wanted to go on an overseas mission trip, but instead God recently directed me to two exciting ventures right in our own backyard,” Christie shared.
She believes, “Life is always a good choice.” After, their youngest child, Gus, started pre-K and their daughter, Ellie, started first grade, Christie decided to stand for life by volunteering at the Brazos Pregnancy Clinic, located next to Big Lots off Hwy 377. She counsels young women once a week. “They just need someone to listen to them and love them,” Christie reflected. The Clinic has a need for volunteers and donations (cash, maternity and baby clothes or formula & diapers). To get involved contact 817-579-1233 or visit www.brazospregnancyclinic.com.
Through their son’s involvement in First Tee, a golf mentoring program that focuses on character skills, the Alexanders also learned about Kids’ Armor of Hope, a local 501c3 that reaches out to abused, abandoned and neglected children in the Granbury area. Their goal is to curb child abuse, one child at a time by showing them God’s love and building self-esteem and confidence. Tragically, almost one in four children in the Granbury ISD does not live with their parents. In 2010, 290 confirmed victims of child abuse in Hood County.
Reaching out to help unwanted kids seemed like a natural extension of supporting life for the Alexander family. When they heard about the special summer camp that Kid’s Armor of Hope sponsors every summer in partnership with the Royal Family Kids Camp, they knew God was calling them to trade a week of vacation to give abused children an opportunity to be a kid for a change. They signed up to be camp counselors this summer.
“We’ve never done anything like this together before,” Christie expressed. Dale added, “We know it will be eye-opening to have an opportunity to be missionaries right here in Hood County. We just want to be Jesus to these kids for a week.”
July 30th to August 6, 2011, 150 kids (ages 6 to 11) will emerge to an undisclosed location (for the safety) within short drive of our church. In the past 10 years, 355 kids have blossomed at the camp. They even had a former camper return to serve on staff last year. Even though 80% of counselors return, there is a need for more as the camp size continues to rapidly grow every year.
Many of these special kids have limited relationship skills as they are often bounced from home to home. Before camp, they think that most big people are bad. To foster relationships and trust, the camp does their best to have one adult paired to each child (two at the most). Each counselor spends 22 hours a day for the week with their camper(s) listening to them, encouraging them, and just being their buddy. It just involves giving your time as the camp provides food and shelter for the staff.
Sadly, most of these kids have never even had a birthday party before (unless they are a returning camper). At camp every child enjoys their own birthday party and presents. Each child is also given a photo album to remember their week at camp. Pictures are special to them as most of them have few pictures of their childhood or having fun. The week is also filled with play time, devotions, crafts, songs, fishing, and lots of fun… a memorable week for kids who have had to act like adults most of their young lives. Few of these kids have good role models in their life.
Dale and Christie challenge other StoneWater members to get involved in “being the hands and feet of Jesus to these special children.” How can you help?
First, there is a need for more camp counselors. You have to be 18 to be a camp counselor; however, anyone 16 and up can be a junior camp counselor.
Even if you can’t take the time off from work during the day, there is also a need for relief staff partners at night from 7 to 10 p.m. to give the counselors a short rest.
There is also an opportunity for support staff to serve snacks, lead crafts or singing, give safe hugs and read stories, deliver luggage, and provide bait and tackle for fishing.
Because these children are wards of the State of Texas, anyone wanting to volunteer in any capacity on camp property must go through mandatory training from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday May 13, 2011 with a second day of mandatory training on May 14, 2011 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as well as a background check. Makeup training will be offered prior to the camp.
StoneWater golfers, the camp also needs to borrow six golf carts for the week to run supplies and staff. Permanent donations of golf carts are also welcomed.
Financial donations, little or small are greatly appreciated as it costs approximately $600 per child to sponsor each camper. Many of these kids come to camp only with the outfit they are wearing or a small backpack with one change of clothes for the entire week. There is a huge need for toiletries, towels, swimsuits, new pillows, bedding, and new changes of clothes and shoes. The kids are especially thrilled when they get to take new things home instead of hand-me-downs. You can also help by buying new birthday gifts (MP3’s, hair barrettes, dolls, watches, and small non-violent toys (unfortunately bigger toys usually become community toys when the kids go back to foster or group home settings).
These neglected children have so many needs that Kids’ Armor of Hope wants to continue to minister to them beyond just one week a year and even after they graduate from camp at age 11. Leaders Jeff Jeffries and Mark Hackney are excited about a new year-round mentoring program they are launching. They are looking for mentors to commit a minimum of four hours a month to love a child or teen. “These kids just need someone to believe in them and love them,” they challenged.
As the Alexanders have learned, you don’t have to travel around the world to help hurting people. This is an excellent opportunity to be a trader right here in Granbury while giving an abused child hope. For more information about Kid’s armor of Hope, please visit www.kidsarmorofhope.org or call (817) 894-2199.
The Alexander Family
What an awesome opportunity for our community to help these children I would like to help by donating some rod and reels, and some toiletries, etc. I will also pick up some t-shirts in various sizes.
ReplyDeleteJan Mark
817-559-7889
Granbury, Texas