Blog

Slow and steady wins the race

February 15, 2019 CCHO One Heart Stables

Each horse at One Heart Stables brings a unique personality to their role in equine therapy as they serve the children in our residential program as well as adults and children in the general public through Encompass Christian Counseling. We’ve come to believe that people will pick the horse they truly need, and in turn our clients are able to engage in an honest, non-judgmental relationship with their horse.

Name: Blue
Age: 23
Breed: Quarter Horse gelding

Many people love Blue because, contrary to his name, he is a beautiful gray color. Blue is the true definition of “slow and steady wins the race” and can often be found napping in his stall. He is more introverted in nature, but loves to get attention and be pampered!

Blue has a kind soul and is a good match for children or adults who may be intimidated by horses due to their size or temperament. He came to One Heart Stables from an anonymous donor who knew that his gentle spirit was a great fit for our therapy program.

Volunteer at One Heart Stables

Serve using your passions and gifts at One Heart Stables. Volunteer opportunities include general stable maintenance, equine grooming/care and horse leader/side walker support for therapy sessions. Learn more and inquire today.

Cottage family nights

February 13, 2019 CCHO News

Our children’s residential center gives kids the opportunity to experience how a healthy family functions. Perhaps for you, some of your favorite childhood memories include family nights—nights to simply stay home with your loved ones and enjoy your favorite foods and movies or games. Each weekend our cottages do just that. Every resident is allowed to participate in family night. Their current behavior status determines how many privileges are included in their evening fun. These positive social experiences give them something to look forward to as well as provide encouragement and connection in their healing process.

Looking for a fun and unique way to give as a family? We invite you to consider a special donation to family nights. Below are some of the requested items for these cottage events.

Movie-sized boxes of candy (such as):

Sour Patch Kids
M&M’s
Swedish Fish Gummy
Nerds
Starbursts
Milk Duds
Reese Pieces
Mike N Ikes

Individual bottles of non-caffeinated drinks:

Pop
Juice pouches or boxes
Water
Gatorade

DVD wish list (please note these should not be Blu-Ray):

Incredibles 1 and 2
Iron Man
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 3
Hulk Movies
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails
Lego Batman
Lego Movie
Home Alone
Home Along 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 3
Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

If you would like to make a gift, please contact Lauren at steinerl@ccho.org to coordinate your efforts and ensure that we don’t receive duplicate movies. You may also choose to make a financial gift online at ccho.org/give.

Thank you for giving our kids the opportunity to just be kids.

2018 Donor Impact Report: A season of growth

January 26, 2019 Communications

As we embark on our 50th year of ministry in 2019, we also would like to reflect back on our previous fiscal year. We watched God continue to bless our family of ministries last year with growth and development across our agency, allowing us to help more children and families than ever before. As you’ll see in our 2018 Donor Impact Report, we could not have done any of this without the incredible support of people like you!

In our Children’s Residential Center (CRC) on the CCHO campus, we focused on further developing our clinical programming from multiple aspects, starting with our day treatment groups. We now have group therapy for each cottage on campus in one block of time, instead of having the groups split up throughout the day. This has shown to lessen the stress for the kids receiving treatment on our campus as well as our staff. Additionally, we have created a group curriculum that is tailored specifically to our program and focuses on various aspects of trauma-focused care.

We also implemented changes that allow our staff to more fully engage our young residents upon intake. Sadly, we have come to realize that some kids are simply not the best fit for our program, regardless of what we offer, so we have been working to more firmly establish procedures to review each residents’ placement in a timely manner to then decide whether he or she will respond well to our program. Furthermore, we have added additional services at the outset of their treatment programming to identify interests, breed connection opportunities and encourage engagement.

We also continue to see growth of all kinds through our Encompass Christian Counseling services, having completed 1,000 counseling sessions in one month for the first time last summer. In addition to our new office at One Center for Leadership in Canton, we expanded services to include school-based partnerships with the Tuslaw and Triway districts. In our equine therapy program at One Heart Stables, we have incorporated a new trauma-focused therapy model, Natural Lifemanship. This model focuses on the exploration of healthy relationships and learning to connect with self and others through interactions with our therapy horses. In a world that struggles with authentic connection, clients are given the opportunity to experience healthy connection in relationships, thus opening doors for emotional healing and trauma processing.

Our Encourage Foster Care ministry saw significant growth as well, with 10 new families joining our network and even more registering for pre-service and on-going training classes. This growth allowed us to add to our staff as we continued expanding into neighboring communities and churches, all with a unified purpose. Finally, we are seeing wonderful development and rich connections with our new mentor program: A Friend in Fostering. While not everyone can take in a foster youth, everyone can help or volunteer.

To see all the numbers and learn more about our previous fiscal year, please check out our 2018 Donor Impact Report.

Trusting in a better plan

January 24, 2019 All Things, CCHO Stories

As we begin our 50th year of helping people experience their worth in Christ, let’s celebrate God’s transformational work in the life of one young boy over the course of one year and 22 days at CCHO.

Caden* came to CCHO from a foster home when his increasingly defiant and aggressive behaviors were making it evident that he needed more help for challenges that stemmed from physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect. Additionally, Caden witnessed violence between his mother and her partner. He also saw his mother buy and use drugs.

When Caden first arrived on campus a little over a year ago, just before Christmas, he was defiant, struggled to trust adults and was unable to develop friendships. He had frequent nightmares and flashbacks. And yet, because he immediately felt safe and loved, Caden adjusted to life here pretty quickly, even with the timing of the holidays.

Over the next eight months, he worked hard to complete his individualized treatment plan and achieve his goals. He effectively engaged in both individual and group therapies. He enjoyed recreational activities and also responded well to art and equine therapy. Caden demonstrated a significant decrease in physical and verbal aggression, opposition toward adults and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. His ability to concentrate and focus substantially increased. He was ready for the next step of his journey but there would be obstacles in his path.

For the majority of Caden’s time with us, the plan was for him to be reunited with his biological mother who drove every other week from out-of-state to visit him. We were making steps for his discharge to take place when his county discontinued the reunification plan. Caden was devastated. A letter was sent to his county noting his readiness for discharge and a foster family was identified for him. Steps were made for the transition to this family, but the placement fell through just three days before his scheduled departure.

This was another loss for Caden, and he was faced with feelings of rejection and abandonment all over again. After a couple weeks of processing this loss, Caden came to the staff and said that he was going to be okay because he realized God must have a better family in store for him.

During this time of waiting, Caden’s biological mother gave birth to his baby sister. He was really upset about not being able to meet her. As Halloween and Thanksgiving came and went, he began feeling more and more hopeless. He was devastated at the thought of spending a second Christmas here. He desired to have a home and be part of a family.

Toward the beginning of December, his county identified another foster home for him. After the second visit with this family, Caden came back thrilled that his potential foster father told him he would officially be his foster dad. To top it all off, the foster family has an infant, which helped fill the void Caden was experiencing from not being with his baby sister.

We invite you to pray for Caden and his new foster family as they adjust to becoming a family of four. Please pray that he feels safe and secure in his new home and has peace with being separated from his biological mom and baby sister. If he isn’t able to return to his mother, we hope that he is adopted, finding his forever family. We also hope that Caden uses the skills he learned at CCHO in his new placement and continues to grow closer to God.

Faith played a big role in Caden’s healing story. He enjoyed reading his Action Bible and listening to Christian music on his mp3 player, using the music as a coping skill. He was always excited when it was his prayer day, and he often included all of his peers and staff in his prayers. Because of your generosity, CCHO was a safe place for Caden to receive treatment and learn about his worth in Christ. Your giving allowed Caden to experience love and support in healthy ways. Thank you for making this #OneHeartOnTheRise transformation possible.

Jessie Berry is the therapist for Cottage 6 where our young boys live. She has served on staff since June 2015 helping children overcome past trauma.

*name changed to protect his identity

This story first appeared in our Winter 2019 All Things quarterly newsletter.

Thank you, Wayne County Community Foundation

January 16, 2019 CCHO News

CCHO is pleased to receive an $8,000 grant award from the Wayne County Community Foundation. We are extremely grateful for this contribution through the Beaverson Foundation Community Fund, the Leonard Schnell Community Fund and the William A. Foll, Sr. and Patricia K. Foll Community Fund. Their generosity will benefit The Promise Project capital campaign with funds specifically designated for volleyball nets and wall pads for the Children’s Leadership & Recreation Center.

The children in our residential center have experienced various types of intense trauma that can impede their ability to control thoughts, emotions and actions. Research indicates that play and games can improve executive function, working memory and self-control in children with behavioral issues. Safe, healthy play also has been linked to increased feelings of safety, reduced levels of aggression and a readiness to learn. In those playful moments when the kids can just be kids, they forget about the pain that brought them here, and instead they can be the wonderful, joyful and carefree children that God created them to be.

“Our promise is to help children who have endured unspeakable trauma find their worth in Christ,” says Kevin Hewitt, President & CEO. “We offer a variety of therapeutic, social, spiritual and educational opportunities to best care for our kids with the healing process. The Children’s Leadership & Recreation Center is another advancement in our service to hurting kids.”

In the midst of the winter season, we are reminded of the importance of a safe and warm indoor space for our residents to engage in healthy activities. Thank you, Wayne County Community Foundation, for your support of children in need. These funds shine brightly towards the completion of our capital campaign.

Expressing God’s extravagant love

December 27, 2018 CCHO News

The song says Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but that’s not true for everyone. While life at home for the boys and girls on the CCHO campus was often terrifying, many of them are still homesick, especially this time of year. Sadly, these kids didn’t wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning.

But because of kind and loyal supporters, they did wake up to an astonishing example of generosity and love. Contributors to our annual Christmas Wish List program donated more than 400 gifts to 34 children on our campus. Wow! Even more incredibly, the Wish List donors sent in gifts to 97 kiddos in our Encompass Christian Counseling ministry, bringing the total number of gifts donated this year to nearly 1100!

Each year, we are blown away by this showing of love and support for the children and families we are blessed to serve. As Christians, we know Christmas isn’t about the gifts, but our Wish List program is a meaningful and memorable expression of God’s extravagant love for us, passed on to children who may never have experienced it before.

Cindy McCory, ReMax Showcase, Wish List donors for 5 years

I’ve been involved in helping CCHO for over 5 years. I was initially introduced through a friend who had fostered a couple boys through CCHO, and I wanted to help in some small way. I have four of my own children who I wanted to include in the process, so we started shopping for a child or two every Christmas. I would have each of my kids give up at least one of their Christmas gifts and took them individually shopping to pick out a gift for a child we were assigned. Every year I would bring my kids and their friends to wrap gifts for at least one cottage during the season. As my children grew, it became part of their Christmas and they had even taken on their own lists to organize and buy for. We would usually try to be available for any last-minute kids who needed gifts. It is not only a great way to help bring Christmas to kids who are in need, but an opportunity for my children to learn the real meaning of Christmas. As my kids left for college, I started including my co-workers at Re/Max to help sponsor kids. This year we bought gifts for 4 kids and had over 15 staff members come wrap presents! I am certain that participating in the program blesses the donors just as much as the Children on Christmas morning. It brings Christmas into perspective.

The Ballentine Family, Wish List donors for 10 years

We love to participate in the program to hopefully give some kids hope and share the love of God. To let them know, there are people who love them and want them to have their physical desires met by God’s grace and love for them. It has been a blessing to receive the kids lists, review them, then go shopping to search out the things they’ve asked for. Honestly, I also love the challenge of finding things they want, trying to figure out “who they are” through the notes of hobbies/favorite color, etc. and finding things that they will love. On Christmas morning, before opening our gifts, we pray a pray of thanksgiving for God’s generous gifts toward us and we pray for the kids at CCHO who are opening the gifts we purchased. Praying they are surprised and unbelievably blessed by them.

Bridge Street Church of Christ, Wish List donors for 19 years

Our youth group refers to it as “Holiday Smiles.” We have had other churches help over the years and most recently for the last 3 years Ohio University – Chillicothe Social Work program (SSWA) has also partnered with us to purchase the gifts. We started Holiday Smiles not only to give to the children at CCHO, but to create a service project for our own kids at BSCC. Holiday Smiles has become a tradition at BSCC starting every June at VBS. The collecting runs during certain fundraising events from VBS, craft shows, bake sales and chicken noodle dinners. It teaches our children to help others and give what they can and when they can. Organizing Holiday Smiles over the last 19 years has been the highlight of our Christmas activities each year. As a bonus, our congregation enjoys reading the thank you cards that we display each year. It adds a personal connection with the children. What a blessing!

Stand out and shine bright this Christmas

December 10, 2018 CCHO Stories

Each Christmas, we are reminded that the boys and girls in our residential treatment program are just that: boys and girls. They have experienced traumas and atrocities that most people will never have to endure. They’ve been wounded, deeply. They can lash out at the people around them because they lack the ability to process their often volatile emotions, much less control them.

But they are still children. And, like other kids their age, most of them still get excited for Christmas.

This year, we wanted to share a beautiful Christmas message from Natalie*, a resident in our teen girls cottage. Natalie came to CCHO in the summer of 2017 with a heartbreaking history of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Growing up, she heard hurtful messages like, “I wish you weren’t around” and “I wish you were never born.” Because of that, Natalie still struggles with her feelings toward the family members who betrayed her.

Since arriving on campus, Natalie has begun to understand that the messages she heard as a young girl were lies. Instead, she has heard the truth: that she was created for a reason, that she is loved and accepted unconditionally, that God has a purpose for her life.

This Christmas, we celebrate our Heavenly Father, who came down and took on our humanity simply because He loved us. We also celebrate a Creator who made us each unique, who blessed us with our own special giftings and abilities. As Natalie wrote in her message, “God made everyone different.”

As we witness the ways God has slowly and delicately worked on healing Natalie’s heart these past 18 months, we are excited to see how she “stands out and shines bright.” And we pray her hopeful message is a blessing to you this Christmas.

*Natalie’s name has been changed to protect her identity

Provide safety & care for hurting kids this Christmas

A gift of $80 this Christmas will provide one night of safety and care for a child in need. What a gift you can give!

Donate

Wishing for home this Christmas

December 4, 2018 CCHO CCHO Stories

She doesn’t have a home. Not really. For most of her life, Mia bounced between two different beds in two different states, staying with her mom and dad until the drugs and alcohol got out of hand and her parents beat her again, and then she’d move back in with Grandma and Grandpa. The last time she stayed with her parents, though, Mia was raped by a teenage boy. She was five.

Mia moved back to her grandparents’ care for good after that, but then the problems in school started – having a hard time concentrating, fighting with other students, getting in trouble with teachers. Mia was even hospitalized more than once for suicidal tendencies. Without any hope that things would get better, ending it all seemed like the only way to stop the pain.

Unable to provide Mia the specialized help she needed, her grandparents placed her in a nearby residential facility. The bouncing continued . . .

For a child like Mia, Christmas is always the hardest time to not have a home. “How many gifts will be under the tree when I wake up?” “Will Santa know where I’m staying this year?” “Does anyone love me enough to give me something for Christmas?” And even those few times that she was with her parents at Christmas, Mia never felt safe. It was just another day when she hoped she wouldn’t get hit again.

Children like Mia, who have been abused and neglected by the people they should be able to trust most in life, have such a hard time moving past the trauma they have experienced. For Mia, her horrific experiences resulted in PTSD. She’s talked often about killing herself.

But you can make a difference in Mia’s life right now. Every $80 you give helps provide Mia with the treatment she needs so she can finally have a peaceful and joyous Christmas. And a long, full life after that.

As Christians, we find our greatest joy and fulfillment in our relationship with Jesus. For many of us, Christmas is the time of year when we feel closest to Jesus as we celebrate His birth and thank our Heavenly Father for sending His Son down to save us and give us new life. For Mia and so many kids like her, they have never heard the true Good News of Christmas. You can change that.

With your gift of $80, Mia can have a safe place to call home this Christmas. She can know what it feels like to be loved and accepted unconditionally, despite what’s happened to her. Your donation gives Mia and other abused and neglected children a chance to learn about Jesus for the first time in a safe and loving environment this Christmas!

Mia loves doing cartwheels and crafting and playing with stuffed animals and dancing. But she also hates being alone, and certain songs bring back memories of the worst times of her young life. She sometimes still gets angry. Mia has a long way to go.

Your support ensures that Mia and the other hurting kids have everything they need to overcome the extreme abuse and unspeakable neglect they have experienced. Your gift of one, or even three nights of safety is the first step towards healing. What a gift you can give!

Provide safety & care for hurting kids this Christmas

Will you consider an $80 gift so that Mia and other girls and boys like her can experience a night of safety and begin to experience their worth in Christ?

Donate

More than a drawing

November 23, 2018 CCHO CCHO Stories

Drawing. Painting. Writing. Singing. Creating. Making.

The kids in our residential program bring a host of challenges with them when they first step foot on our Wooster campus. But they equally bring unique talents and passions that we hope will shine even brighter as they continue on their healing journey. Many of them utilize creative expression as an outlet for all they have seen, heard or experienced in their young lives.

Here’s a photo of a chalk drawing created by one of our talented teen residents.

Creativity is a beautiful part of humanity, and creative outlets, regardless of our ability, are important for all of us, but especially for individuals who have experienced trauma. Art is a way for children and adults alike to communicate feelings, to tell a story or to break from the present moment. Art therapy, a newer addition to traditional therapeutic approaches, gives hurting individuals a voice when they don’t yet have words.

According to the Art Therapy Credentials Board, “art therapy uses art media, the creative process and the resulting artwork as a therapeutic and healing process. Clients—young, old and in-between—are able to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem. Art therapists are trained in both art and therapy. The process isn’t an art lesson—it is grounded in the knowledge of human development, psychological theories and counseling techniques.”

Leah Mendez, residential art therapist at CCHO, says, “Art becomes a tool for me to find out where a child is at relationally and emotionally in a non-threatening way. Their artwork expresses pain, hope and other emotions about previous and current circumstances. It starts a dialogue about their needs and wishes for the future which we work through together.”

Leah utilizes the art therapy approach as part of intensive trauma therapy with our residential clients. Her research “Measuring Efficacy of Intensive Trauma Therapy Through an Attachment Potential Art Therapy Assessment” was recently recognized by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) where she received the Gladys Agell Award for Excellence in Research at the 2018 annual conference.

One heart on the rise

November 21, 2018 CCHO CCHO Stories, News

We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Cottage 1 recently celebrated #OneHeartOnTheRise. One of our teen boys successfully completed his program and was reunified with his biological family. What a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas for this family! Please join us in praise and prayer for his continued growth and transition from our residential program.

Once high school sweethearts, a series of bad choices led to a marriage falling apart. The difficulties of this loss sadly led to additional poor choices made by both parents and children. One sibling faired the storm and one sibling arrived at CCHO for additional support for his anger and behavioral challenges. That’s when this family’s healing journey began.

Shaun* settled into his program here on our Wooster campus and found several positive leisure activities to enjoy and help him make better choices. He also began family counseling with his mom. She drove several hours each way multiple times a week to visit and participate in these sessions. Even when Shaun was not very nice to her, she continued to attend counseling and be supportive and open to feedback. Together with a clinician, they were able to identify and work through emotional concerns while learning effective communication skills.

As a celebratory session at the end of treatment, the clinical team joined Shaun and his family on an escape room activity. This gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his problem-solving, communication and anger-management skills with his family in real time. Upon reentry to school, the principal noted, “He’s a brand new kid!” as he could see the positive changes in self-confidence and communication displayed in Shaun.

Our clinical team also worked with Shaun’s family to create a parenting plan and a family schedule to help them succeed in their reunification. We are truly excited to be a part of this family’s growth! Our social work approach wraps around the entire family with relentless commitment and kindness to help them experience their worth in Christ and find healing as a family unit.

Thank you for celebrating this #OneHeartOnTheRise with us. And thank you for your financial support and advocacy. You are helping to make safety and healing a reality for children and families like this.

*name changed to protect his identity

Name: Blue Age: 23 Breed: Quarter Horse gelding

Volunteer at One Heart Stables

Name: Blue
Age: 23
Breed: Quarter Horse gelding