OMHC Families Benefit From Donated Supplies

omhc-back-to-school-supplies-banner
This year’s donated school supplies were set aside for families using BCC’s Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) in Pasadena, MD. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Brooklyn Community UMC and Oakland UMC (Sykesville, MD), families selected what they needed for their children’s upcoming school year.

All told, 65 families (including 79 OMHC clients as well as many of their siblings) benefited from the supplies.

Andrea Carroll, Director of the clinic, was on hand while the families were ‘shopping.’ “One mother was so overwhelmed with joy, praises, and thanks, that she gave me a hug and cried on my shoulder,” said Carroll. “Here are a few of the other reactions and notes of thanks we received.”omhc-school-supplies-2016

“Oh, Lord Jesus, thank you!” from a grandmother raising four school-aged children who has been down on her luck this past year and has a disabled child of her own.

“We are so glad that BCC was able to help us with our supplies. It is so expensive with two children and one income.”

“Thank you all for all that you have done with the supplies. This means more to me and my family than you would even imagine.”

“Wow!!! There are so many supplies to choose from. We love that BCC lends a helping hand.”

“The Board of Child Care is so thoughtful year round with the donations that they receive. We are so happy that you are able to help our family.”

“I am so thankful for all of the companies and people that make it possible for Board of Child Care to help families that need help. Thank you BCC for sharing and making everything easier for our family.”

Read more from OMHC Families Benefit From Donated Supplies

Sometimes all it takes is a note

thank-you-card-community-serviceCommunity service project by BCC youth has lasting impact on hospital

Several months ago, the Spiritual Life team asked youth to create get well cards for patients at hospitals throughout Maryland. The community service project was not about personally knowing the people the cards would go to, but understanding that being kind, even to strangers, is important.

Rev. Stacey Nickerson, BCC’s Director of Church and Community Engagement, received a note back from a hospital chaplain who had received a stack of the cards.

get-well-soon-cardDear Nieces and Nephews,
Thank you very much for your lovely, kind and thoughtful cards. I keep them in our chaplain office at the hospital – so they are always there, ready to be given away. I’m taking my time, allowing God to show me how to use them.

About three weeks ago, I gave away the first card to a gentleman on the behavioral unit. This is for people with emotional and mental illnesses. I’ll call him David. He is in his early 80’s and was very depressed when he came to the hospital. We had some good talks, but he couldn’t see any hope for the future. He has no family, and had a heart attack that left him unable to care for himself. He tried to end his life before coming to the hospital.

When I gave him your card, he looked at it, said “thank you”, and returned it to the envelope. He left the envelope on his tummy, and went back to sleep.
A few days later I saw him again. He still felt hopeless.

Well, yesterday, I read about him on the computer before I went to see him. I was so happy to read that he was feeling better. I went up to the 6th floor to see him for myself. He was still lying in bed, but he actually gave me a small smile. I hadn’t seen him smile before. He said: “it’s too hard to stay negative with about a hundred positive people in here all day long!”

He is being discharged to a nursing home. He thanked me for visiting and encouraging him. Your card was with his belongings that he is taking with him when he leaves. You definitely played a role in his recovery, because you are one of those “hundred” positive people who made it hard for him to stay sad.

So thank you very much for supporting David and showing him God’s love.

On Tuesdays, I lead a spirituality group on this unit. We talk about God together. So next week, I plan to take some of your cards with me, and focus the whole session around giving one of your cards to each member of the group. We have young and older people, men and women, black, white, Asian, Hispanic – everyone. I never know until I arrive who will be there, of course. We will discuss what it means for young people like you to take the time to make these cards, sending a message that says: “we may not know you but it doesn’t mean that we don’t care”. Your cards are a message from God, letting these people know that God still cares about them. It gives them a lot to think about, and makes them smile.

Another week in my group, I plan to have the group members make their own cards for other patients in the hospital, and even for the staff, to say thank you for caring for me! That will make the nurses and doctors feel happy.

I would never have had these two great ideas if you hadn’t made your cards and sent them for me to use. Your cards are truly an inspiration. Even when your cards have all been given away, your idea will stay behind and keep bearing fruit.

This is how love works.

Thank you again for your ministry to these lonely and troubled people.
With love,

~ Angela

Read more from Sometimes all it takes is a note

Glen Mar UMC Confirmation Class visits BCC

glen-mar-UMC-confirmation-class-outside-bcc-chapel

On September 17, 2016, Glen Mar United Methodist Church’s Confirmation Class visited BCC’s Baltimore campus. They held their retreat in the chapel. The class brought a donation of scented body wash for our youth. These items will be used in welcome bags for new residents arriving at BCC.

Thanks Glen Mar UMC!

 

Interested in Reserving the Chapel for your group?

We welcome faith groups to use our Baltimore campus chapel at no charge.  Simply send us a note via our Contact Us form if you would like a staff member to send you some more information.

Read more from Glen Mar UMC Confirmation Class visits BCC

Halethorpe United Methodist Church helps Strawbridge music program

yarb-and-terry-check-donation-drop-offBCC welcomed a very special group of visitors to campus this month. It turns out that the group from Halethorpe UMC, led by Yarb (pictured left) knew the new music teacher at our Strawbridge School, Ms. Terry Sann (pictured right). To show their support for her new position, they donated $200 towards new instruments. BCC used the funds towards purchasing new Keyboards for the music classroom.

Thank you Yarb and everyone at Halethorpe UMC!

music-donation-made possible by Halethorpe UMC
Read more from Halethorpe United Methodist Church helps Strawbridge music program

BCC Spotlight: Jernise Ayers, Behavioral Interventionist

jernise-ayers-employee-spotlightAyers started at BCC in 2014 as a Child Care Worker on the Denton Campus covered in beef stew (Not a typo! read on for the full story). In October 2015, she was selected to manage a community-based program BCC received a grant to start. Ayers graduated in 2004 with a B.S. from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in human ecology (child development concentration). A Dover, DE native, Ayres has spent her career to date focused on helping young adolescents.

You’re at a BBQ and somebody asks you what you do. How do you describe your role? The kids and the families you work with?
I start with the basics and just tell them I work at a group home in the community. I admit I do get a few funny looks. I think that comes from the stereotype that some people have of who lives at a group home. Or they think that because I’m a girl that I shouldn’t be working with adolescents with behavior challenges! But I just tell them the kids are awesome and that it’s your relationship with them that matters more. Not how big or strong you are.

Who have been mentors for you as you’ve started your career?
I would definitely say Karen has been a role model (Ed. Note: Karen McGee, Denton’s Program Director). I can ask her anything and I learn something from her every time. My older sister is another – she’s like my second mom. She kind of raised me because my mom worked an overnight job.

Do you get a lot of support from your family for what you do?
At first I don’t think they really understood why I wanted to do this. Even though my sister is older we’ve actually been living very parallel education and work lives. We graduated from our respective colleges a week apart. My sister is working at a group home in Delaware as a parent aid and my cousin actually just started a job in the human services field. So now it’s becoming more of a family thing and I think everyone understands a little better who we’re actually helping and how much of an impact we are making.

So the “stew” story we gather is kind of famous on campus. Could you share what happened on your first day?
My first day at BCC is definitely a story shared often around here. I was sitting with two boys at lunch and they started to argue about something. One of them accidentally spilled his bowl of beef stew all over me. I finished my shift and believe me each day since I have kept a spare set of clothes in my car! I guess some people would have said this job wasn’t for them after something like that, but I knew after that first day I was supposed to be here.

You’ve switched roles from Child Care Worker to working on this Community Program grant. Tell us about that.
About a year ago BCC was awarded a grant from Caroline county to do more therapy with young adults who were exhibiting “at risk” behaviors. The work was really focused on early intervention and trying to keep them out of the foster care or juvenile court system. This year Caroline county shifted the focus of our work to target youth who have at least one parent recently released from incarceration.
I do a lot of work on just basic communication. When a young person hasn’t had this adult figure in their life for some time it can be difficult to reconnect (and vice versa for the adult – they feel awkward and don’t know what to talk about). I’m excited because this work is all about strengthening families and the stronger we can make them, the stronger the community will be overall.

What’s next for you? Going back to school?
My next life adventure is definitely graduate school. I’m going to try to do my degree online because I really like this job and don’t want to leave!

If you could snap your fingers and something could be different, what would it be?
Probably extend the day. There just isn’t enough time to do everything I want to!

Read more from BCC Spotlight: Jernise Ayers, Behavioral Interventionist