Advance
Report 2000
Affiliate Reports
White's Residential and Family Services
White's ministry to hurting children and teens has experienced a year of growth both as an institution and within the lives of those who are entrusted to our care.
Over the past 11 months our residential program averaged 149 teens in our residential care per month. Our foster care program averaged about 125 children in foster homes per month. White's has provided services to nearly 800 children from infants to teens over the past year in our residential, foster care, shelter care, and home-based programs.
Much of our focus over the past year has been on our Spiritual Life Program and the development of the Profile of White's. Both of these projects have provided us with guidance and focus as we have defined what our purpose is as a Christ- centered organization and what our priority is in the spiritual development of our students. Because we feel that our greatest responsibility and greatest privilege is to present each child in our residential program with the message of the Gospel, we undertook a major renovation and expansion project to our current White's Chapel which was constructed in 1960.
In August, a $600,000 fund raising project was launched to provide for the renovation. Thanks to a generous $300,000 matching gift, and gifts from individuals and meetings, we were able to break ground and begin the renovation on May 18.
We have seen spiritual growth of many students through their participation of our chapel programs which include small group Bible studies, the drama, puppet and choir ministries, the WWJD girls' group, and the prayer partner ministry. Special speakers included former students Bill and Jodie Ballenger who met while students at White's and later married. They shared their testimonies with the youth, telling how the Spiritual Life Program at White's influenced their lives. The couple is now involved in full-time ministry.
Chaplain Doug Ronco and his wife, Phyllis, have continued to provide a top-notch spiritual life program for our teens through these programs as well as scheduling special speakers, arranging for off-campus concerts and pouring their lives into the students in a one-on-one setting. It is with great regret that we recently accepted their resignation as White's Chaplain and Chaplain's Secretary. Although the Roncos will be with us for a few more months, we will dearly miss them and their ministry to the children of White's for the past 15 years.
Our Board recently named Mike and Melinda Hornback as the new chaplain and secretary. The Hornbacks have served as houseparents for White’s and have a rich background in ministry to teens.
In addition to the excellent chapel programs, our residential students enjoyed a variety of special events at Wabash's Honeywell Center Ford Theater due to a generous gift which supports enriching opportunities. Students enjoyed a Dino concert, Spirit of the Dance, Annie, and Loretta Lynn this past season.
A variety of special events were enjoyed by students through White's Jr./Sr. High School. Field trips to an international fair, the play Romeo and Juliet, and Journalism Day at Ball State University, provided students with unique learning experiences. We are presently involved in our summer education program which offers a variety of both academic and non-academic classes throughout the summer months.
The athletic program continued to support boys and girls who desired to participate in sports, many for the first time. The boys varsity basketball team enjoyed a strong season, and the seventh grade boys track team finished undefeated. Our athletes also received special recognition from the IHSAA for good sportsmanlike behavior.
Our Student Enrichment Fund, an annual fund raising effort provided for services which directly benefited the students. Special counseling services, life-skill summer school courses, and improved technology are some of the ways the fund was utilized this past year.
White's has also experienced growth in the Family Services foster care program. This past year more children with specialized needs were placed in foster homes due to an increase in specialized foster parents. Medically needy or terminally ill children are being given the care and love they need from caring and dedicated foster parents.
Family Services also held their first Wabash area picnic for foster families in August which gave foster parents and foster children a chance to interact with one another and see the scope of the foster care program in the area. In March, they hosted their first weekend conference which combined training with service recognition over a two-day retreat in Central Indiana.
In response to a growing need in the South Bend area, White's Family Services opened a satellite office there in March to better service the needs of foster families in that area.
The Home-Based program continued to experience growth, working with families in their homes to either prevent a child from being removed from a home or to help reunite families.
Amidst the growth, we experienced loss when Ground Supervisor Darrell Drayer died suddenly in October. In his 25 years of service, Mr. Drayer touched many, many lives as a houseparent with his wife, Kathy, and later through his position in the Farm Shop. His devotion and love for the teens under his supervision was recognized at a special memorial service held on our campus.
We also bid farewell to two sets of houseparents who retired this past year. Robert and Shirley Smith retired in December after serving at White's for 15 years, touching the lives of the hundreds of girls who lived in their cottage. Bill and Joyce Roddan also retired after nearly 8 years of service as house-parents for a boys' cottage where they impacted many lives.
We are thankful to God for providing White's with faithful and loving servants.
In closing, I would like to share a Profile of White's which includes Our Mission, Our Values, and Our Vision. Having a profile or mission statement, helps us to better define what our ministry is and be able to communicate that to others. It also helps us to focus on priorities and set ways to accomplish those objectives. And, it challenges us to raise the standard of care we provide to children and teens.
Our Mission: "White's Residential and Family Services is a Christ-centered organization committed to enriching the lives of children and families through emotional healing, personal development, and spiritual growth."
Our Values: "The primary value of White's Residential & Family Services is to model God's grace and love to the children and families we serve."
Our Vision: "White's Residential and Family Services will provide hope for children and families and offer services which challenge them to live lives of character, stability, and service to others."
We appreciate the support and encouragement we receive from IYM and those individuals and meetings who faithfully support our ministry to children and teens.
Dee Gibson, Executive Director
