Team – Christian Children’s Home of Ohio

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Connect 2 Kids Individual

July 26, 2019 CCHO CCHO Stories, Ministry Support, News, Team, Volunteers

Connect 2 Kids is growing! We asked Emily Frazier, LISW-S, Clinical Director of our Children’s Residential Center to share more about this volunteer program and the new way to give of your time and talents.

Connect2Kids (C2K) is an incredible volunteer program where people who love Jesus get to put His love into action and follow His command to love. This program offers the ability to fellowship, teach, and guide hurting boys and girls on our residential campus.

Our current C2K volunteers come into kids’ lives once a week and typically provide a meal, an activity and a devotion or lesson focused on Jesus or other Bible stories. We are looking to expand this program to include individuals who have a specific skill and a desire to help kids find a new spark, passion or coping skill that they can use for long-term success.

For so many kids in residential, their lives have been filled with hurt, abandonment and rejection. They’ve never taken a dance or music lesson. They’ve never tried out for a school play or played a team sport. They lack the confidence to try new things because they have always fallen behind their peers.

The expansion of our C2K program allows our kids and teens to explore new interests and find something they enjoy. We hope the experience will guide them into pro-social activities when they finish their residential stay and get back into their communities.

This week, our residential youth and staff put on the annual Campus Talent Show to an audience made up of staff and peers. What an amazing time to see our kids and teens share their unique abilities. Beautiful voices. Incredible artwork. Creative dances. Heartfelt expression. So many special giftings that had the opportunity to shine and be celebrated.

Program staff came alongside our residents to assist with costumes and performances. They also contributed through dynamic performances of their own — much to the delight of everyone in attendance.

Consider your skill set and pray about serving with C2K Individual. Teaching six weeks of soccer or eight weeks of theatre could impact a youth for a lifetime. We’re looking for volunteers to serve once a week for a six- or eight-week session. Perhaps the time and encouragement you give will be part of next year’s talent show.

Learn more about this new opportunity at ccho.org/volunteer or contact Campus Pastor Tim Hartzler at hartzlert@ccho.org or 330.345.7949, ext. 2597.

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Trading worthlessness for faithfulness (Story 10 of 50)

May 3, 2019 CCHO 50 Stories for 50 Years, CCHO Stories, Team

CCHO is celebrating 50 years of ministry! Throughout 2019, we will be sharing stories of the lives that have been forever changed by the work God has done through our family of ministries (CCHO, Encourage Foster Care and Encompass Christian Counseling). We’re thrilled to be able to share this baptism story from Tim Hartzler, our Campus Pastor. Story #10 from our 50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry series celebrates Mia’s transformation and baptism!

I met Mia last summer when she first became a resident in our Young Girls Cottage. I was working as a treatment specialist in a different cottage at the time, so I only got to see her every so often. I was immediately struck by Mia’s kindness, openness and her bright, vibrant personality. She was the type of kid that made you feel warm inside just being around her. I remember thinking, “Why is a kid like this even here in a treatment facility?”

It didn’t take long to see just what was really going on inside Mia. She began to display anger, violence and rage. I remember her telling me that she felt broken and worthless. She shared details of a past full of hurt, pain and trauma. I felt helpless and my heart broke as I could see this amazing child of God, but felt unable to help her to see the same.

I thank God for the amazing staff that work in our Young Girls Cottage. Through their dedication and daily example, Mia saw the love of Jesus Christ. They tirelessly poured love into Mia to combat the feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness she carried with her. One day, after talking to Miss Cindy, one of our incredible treatment specialists, Mia accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior!

Over time I began to see changes in Mia. She began working hard to overcome her past and the feelings she had about herself. Shortly after I became the Spiritual Coordinator and Campus Pastor at CCHO, Mia began faithfully attending Bible studies in her cottage, asking more and more questions about Jesus and what it meant to be a Christian. I could see her confidence in herself and what God was doing in her grow. One day, we talked about baptism and Mia immediately asked if she could be baptized. I explained that baptism was a public declaration of our faith in Christ Jesus, and I asked if she was ready to tell the whole world that she loved Jesus and was choosing to follow Him. Mia emphatically said yes!

On April 26th, 2019, I had the privilege and great honor of baptizing Mia. I can say with pride and confidence that Mia is a completely changed person from the girl I first met last summer. She knows the road ahead won’t be easy, and she still has a lot to work on (as we all do!), but I am confident that she is on the path to hope and healing, and by the grace of God, will get there.

We are thrilled to be able to share, with her permission, the testimony Mia wrote and read for her baptism service:

“When I was young, I constantly moved from house to house, never knowing where my next home would be. Sometimes I had to steal food so I would have something to eat.

My dad drank alcohol a lot and was in and out of jail most of my childhood. I didn’t really know my mom growing up, and I ended up living with my grandparents.

I became very angry and one day I threatened to hurt someone in my family. As a result, I was taken from my grandparents and placed at Christian Children’s Home of Ohio.

It was at CCHO that I met miss Cindy, who taught me about Jesus. I now choose to get baptized and have asked Jesus to come into my heart to save me from my sin.

I want everyone to know that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and I commit my life to following Him.”

After reading her testimony, Mia then shared one of her favorite verses: Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Celebrating Five Decades of Ministry

This story is part of our "50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry" retrospective. Throughout 2019, we will be sharing 50 stories about the broken hearts, broken people, and broken families that have been made new by a loving and redemptive God. Have your own story about CCHO and our family of ministries? Click the button below to share it with us.

CCHO Turns 50!
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Life lessons learned (Story 9 of 50)

April 26, 2019 50 Stories for 50 Years, CCHO Stories, One Heart Stables, Team

CCHO is celebrating 50 years of ministry! Throughout 2019, we will be sharing stories of the lives that have been forever changed by the work God has done through our family of ministries (CCHO, Encourage Foster Care and Encompass Christian Counseling). This next story comes from a former teen resident of cottage 1. In story #9 from our 50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry series, Amanda shares how her life has been deeply influenced by the kindness of residential team members at CCHO.

I was 16 years old when I came to CCHO. I was a lost, angry teenager, but the love and support of CCHO helped mold me into the woman I am today. I was a resident of cottage 1 for almost a year. I made friends that I’m still friends with today. I learned how to ride horses and clean stables as well as saddle horses and clean hooves. To this day I still remember how to do those things. I remember the joy of riding and the comfort of being around the horses.

While I was a resident I had tough days, but the house parents (as we called the cottage staff at that time) always helped me smile again. Sarah and Dwayne were one set of parents who made an impact on me. They were caring and fun and loved all of us individually. They tried to connect with each of us to help us the best they could. Sarah and I used to play SingStar when I needed cheering up. We used to make jewelry too. She was the best.

The other house parents Tim and Jenny were just as amazing. They loved with a gentler technique yet still as effective. If it wasn’t for CCHO, I would most likely be hooked on drugs or dead. But because I was blessed to have them, I am a mother and have a happy normal life.

Each of our house parents had a dog. Theirs was Maggie, a little schnauzer who was the sweetest cuddle bug. While I was there we went on a missionary trip to Noblesville, Indiana to help restore a historic landmark. The experience was more fun than it sounds 🙂 Afterward, we spent the next day at Kings Island. Best day of my life!

I may have left CCHO on not-so-good terms but everything I’ve learned from them has helped me grow and mature in ways I didn’t think possible. I’m now a 27-year-old mom who has a good life and still goes to church and uses the life lessons I learned from CCHO.

Thank you, CCHO, for everything you have done for me. I would still be a lost, angry person without you.

Celebrating Five Decades of Ministry

This story is part of our "50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry" retrospective. Throughout 2019, we will be sharing 50 stories about the broken hearts, broken people, and broken families that have been made new by a loving and redemptive God. Have your own story about CCHO and our family of ministries? Click the button below to share it with us.

CCHO Turns 50!
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Certified Best Christian Workplace 2019

April 16, 2019 CCHO HR News, Team

We are excited to announce for the third straight year, CCHO and our family of ministries have been certified as a 2019 Best Christian Workplace by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI).

The first survey of Christian workplaces was published in Christianity Today magazine in 2003. This engagement survey helps churches, ministries and Christian-owned businesses measure the health of their workplace culture in eight areas: fantastic teams, life-giving work, outstanding talent, uplifting growth, rewarding compensation, inspirational leadership, sustainable strategy, and healthy communication.

“I am humbled and proud to serve alongside each of [our staff] as we help people experience their worth in Christ,” said CCHO’s President & CEO Kevin Hewitt. “I am grateful that our staff exemplifies what Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17: ‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.’”

Jeff Stump, director of facilities, added, “How awesome it is to see on a daily basis how our God uses a bunch of imperfect people who love Him, to bring love, hope, grace and mercy into the lives of hurting kids and families. [I am] honored to be a part of this family of ministries.”

BCWI’s mission is to equip and inspire Christian leaders to build a flourishing workplace. The organization has expanded to include Canadian, Australian, South African, United Kingdom, Albanian and Guatemalan ministry partners. View the full list of Best Christian Workplaces for 2019.

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Minister to hurting kids

March 30, 2019 CCHO News, Team

The character and commitment of our staff members are critical to us serving our clients well. Treatment specialists, a key position within our children’s residential center team, directly care for the needs and safety of our youth clients. This role offers the unique opportunity to build relationships with kids and teens and model for them what a healthy adult looks like. This position receives specialized training in caring for children and teens with trauma. It’s a great opportunity to explore the social services career field and gain experience working alongside other clinical team members. More than that, the treatment specialist role is a ministry to hurting kids looking for hope and stability.

We asked our staff to share about their experiences as a treatment specialist. Tim Hartzler, now our campus spiritual coordinator, served as a treatment specialist in our teen boys cottage for several years. Read his words below.

Being a treatment specialist is difficult and frustrating yet fulfilling and rewarding all at the same time. It can be frustrating watching kids make choices that negatively impact their life, and frustrating when you can’t do anything to help them.

However, it is incredibly fulfilling when you see residents make positive choices and changes in their lives that they have been struggling with, sometimes for all of their lives. Knowing, at the end of the day, that I have served a greater purpose than my own wants or desires, to put someone else’s needs first, is an incredibly rewarding feeling.

My motivation to help our clients is seeing the world through their point of view. Seeing them the way my heavenly Father sees me. To see each one as a lost and broken child that is unable to understand and cope with the world in which they have been brought up. And needing the grace, strength and peace that only comes from Jesus.

The reason I have dedicated time and energy can be summed up in James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

What better way to show the love of our heavenly Father than to take care of those who are without a family. At the end of my life when I stand before God, I will not feel remorse over the difficulties I went through for these kids, but rather I will feel ashamed that I did not go through more for them.

Learn more about the treatment specialist position on our human resources page. We currently have openings on first, second and overnight shifts.

Treatment specialist applicants must be 21 and have a high school diploma/GED, valid driver’s license and reliable transportation. Treatment specialists are required to be able to restrain a client when necessary (training provided) and must be able to pass a pre-employment physical. References, background checks and drug screenings will be completed on all potential candidates. EOE.

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One Heart, One Family of Ministries (Story 4 of 50)

March 27, 2019 Kevin Hewitt 50 Stories for 50 Years, CCHO Stories, Team
CCHO is celebrating 50 years of ministry! Throughout 2019, we will be sharing stories of the lives that have been forever changed by the work God has done through our family of ministries (CCHO, Encourage Foster Care and Encompass Christian Counseling). We hope you enjoy this glimpse of our amazing staff, written by our President & CEO, in story #4 from our 50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry series.

From the first employee hired in 1969 to our most recent group of new hires, thousands of men and women have served at CCHO and our family of ministries. They have served by caring enough to step into the pain and hurt of life to offer hope and peace. They have served by caring enough to support their fellow staff. They have served by caring enough to be the hands and feet of Jesus each day of the year.

Many of those staff members attended our spring All Staff luncheon this week, where we spent some time celebrating 50 years of ministry while looking ahead to what God may have planned for the next 50 years. It was a fun afternoon of food and fellowship for everyone, as you can see in the below picture. I am grateful for each and every one of our current staff – for the heart they all have for our family of ministries – and I am amazed by the impact they are making in northeast Ohio and beyond.

Celebrating Five Decades of Ministry

This story is part of our "50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry" retrospective. Throughout 2019, we will be sharing 50 stories about the broken hearts, broken people, and broken families that have been made new by a loving and redemptive God. Have your own story about CCHO and our family of ministries? Click the button below to share it with us.

CCHO Turns 50!
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“I don’t want you to love me” (Story 2 of 50)

March 20, 2019 50 Stories for 50 Years, CCHO Stories, Team
CCHO is celebrating 50 years of ministry! Throughout 2019, we will be sharing stories of the lives that have been forever changed by the work God has done through our family of ministries (CCHO, Encourage Foster Care and Encompass Christian Counseling). We hope you will enjoy story #2 from our 50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry series.

Each day, employees of our family of ministries aim to uphold our three core values: relentless commitment, selflessness and kindness. We believe our interactions with the children, adults and families we serve throughout our three ministries, as well as our interactions with fellow employees, should be infused with these values.

Of course, living out these values day-by-day can be challenging. That’s why we love to celebrate moments when employees show relentless commitment, selflessness and kindness with our quarterly COMPEL Awards. Inspired by 2 Corinthians 5:14 (“For the love of Christ compels us…”), COMPEL is an acrostic for:

Christ
Others
Me
Possibilities of
Extravagant
Love

Each quarter, employees send in their COMPEL Award nominations by sharing short stories about ways they’ve witnessed fellow staff members show the love of Christ to others. We typically receive upwards of 50 nominations each quarter from all corners of our agency, and every nomination is read aloud and celebrated at our All Staff luncheons.

We will be including other COMPEL nominations in our “50 Stories for 50 Years” series, but today, we wanted to share one of the most powerful nominations ever submitted, from our former campus minister in 2012:

I saw Jesus that night…. Several weeks ago, on a Wednesday night as I was leaving one of the (resident) cottages, I heard loud yelling, swearing and profanity. Although it was dark, I could see the form of an animated youth and what looked like two staff members attempting to redirect the over-stimulated girl. I heard her (the youth) yell, “Get the *!%@ away from me…I DON’T WANT YOU TO LOVE ME….” The youth began to alternate between sobbing and screaming. After a while, the youth laid down on the cold pavement in front of cottage one and continued to sob.

By the way, it was freezing cold that night and although I was standing with my thermals, sweatshirt, coat and boots, I was STILL FREEZING out there!

Then, I saw Jesus lay down on the hard, cold pavement with that (girl) and stroke her hair and calmly reassure her…five minutes later, still on the ground but sobbing softly…10 minutes later, both still on the ground, no audible crying…15 minutes later, still on the ground…. I felt the need to help them get out of the freezing cold, so I asked the other staff who was there…if he could get some blankets from the cottage and cover them up!

When I left the scene, Jesus was still lying on the ground next to the youth, comforting her…. He was disguised as (former treatment specialist) Mary Fishburn.

On that bitterly cold night, Mary proved to this former resident that she was relentlessly committed to her by showing her kindness and selflessly putting the resident’s needs ahead of her own. It was exactly what that little girl needed, precisely at the moment, to discover some peace in the midst of her emotional turmoil.

What a great reminder of just how transformational Christ’s love can be for people who have experienced so much pain.

Celebrating Five Decades of Ministry

This story is part of our "50 Stories for 50 Years of Ministry" retrospective. Throughout 2019, we will be sharing 50 stories about the broken hearts, broken people, and broken families that have been made new by a loving and redemptive God. Have your own story about CCHO and our family of ministries? Click the button below to share it with us.

CCHO Turns 50!
Read more

National Social Work Month

March 19, 2019 News, Team

CCHO and our family of ministries is a social work agency. We believe in wrapping our clients with faith, love, relevant tools and supportive services to help them experience their worth in Christ and lead their best lives. We are deeply grateful for the countless contributions of our agency’s social workers throughout the year and acknowledge them especially this month in observance of National Social Work Month.

Each social worker’s day looks a little different depending on their area of service. Our organization utilizes social workers in homes, offices, schools, courtrooms and cottages. They provide mental health support and resource information. They come alongside individuals and families in times of crisis and help them make healthy choices for the future.

The following excerpt is from an interview with Kevin Hewitt, our president & CEO, originally printed in the Wooster Weekly News on March 25, 2013. A 25+ year social work veteran, he shares about the role of social workers and the motivation behind it.

“Social workers are the links that provide the services that our families need. They are aware from both a clinical standpoint and in a pragmatic way. They are wise in therapy techniques, and the empathy they have for kids and their ability to make connections, to find that child the right program they need and can flourish in . . . . Social workers are really taking up the cause of the powerless. Social workers give them a voice.”

“Social work really is showing somebody else that you value them. [It’s] the ability to bear one another’s burdens, to take some of the emotional baggage and pain and say, ‘you’re OK, we’re going to get through this.’ There’s tremendous value in that.”

Kevin continued, “In Scripture, we are repeatedly told to do good unto others, to love others. In Matthew 5:16, ‘that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’ Or Ephesians 2:10, ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand for us to do.’”

Our multi-site agency staff includes more than 30 professional social workers who serve others with leadership and compassion in this critical ministry career. They diligently work on behalf of others in need, and their relentless commitment brings restoration and healing for children, adults and families.

Ruth Aubrey, LISW-S
Alison Bartholomew, LSW
Necole Beitzel, LISW
Jessica Berry, LISW-S
Eleanor Brooks, LSW
Lindsay DeHaas, LSW
Alexandra Didato, LISW
Lenora Dotson, LSW
Kateri Ewing, LSW
Katherine Failor, LISW-S
Abby Fischer, LISW
Emily Frazier, LISW-S

Kristina Fryson, LSW
Valerie Grisak, LISW-S
Lisa Haberbusch, LISW-S
Kevin Hewitt, LSW
Brandon Jurkovich, LSW
Annita Justice, LSW
Candice Kocsis, LSW
Sarah Laubli, LSW
Sharon Mathias-Cain, LISW
Melissa McMullen, LSW
Alicia Miller, LSW
Rebecca Mollohan, LSW

Ronda Mullet, LSW
Shawn Pedani, LISW-S
Carla Plegge, LSW
Elizabeth Raynes, LSW
Tara Satterfield, LSW
Peggy Smith, LSW
Rebekah Smith, LSW
Glenn Sprunger, LSW
Julie Tuel, LSW
David Yoder, LISW-S
Renee Young, LSW

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CCHO

For 50 years, we have been focused on one purpose: to help the children and families we serve experience their worth in Christ.

All content and imagery © 2019 Christian Children's Home of Ohio. All Rights Reserved.
Selected stock photography used with permission.