Thank you to all of the golfers and sponsors who joined us on Friday for our 4th annual Girls on the Green fundraiser golf tournament at Timbers at Troy! We had a fantastic day and enjoyed a special visit from Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman! Thank you to all of the golfers, sponsors, Hearts & Homes board members, Hearts & Homes staff, and Timbers staff who all made this a great event!
The Board of Directors of Hearts & Homes for Youth is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Chloe Perez as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She is assuming the responsibilities following the retirement of our long time CEO Rex Smith.
Chloe first came to Hearts & Homes in 2000 and worked for two years as a Rehabilitation Counselor while she was working on her Masters. She returned in 2010 and was hired as the Program Administrator, responsible for oversight of all Residential Treatment Care Programs and was a driving force behind projects that enabled us to better serve the varied and changing needs of victimized, underserved, and emotionally troubled youth across the state of Maryland and the greater Mid-Atlantic region.
The Board of Directors unanimously selected Chloe as part of an extensive search. “Chloe impressed us with her leadership experiences and her extensive knowledge of the clinical healthcare field. It was clear to everyone involved in the search process that she has the skills, knowledge, experience, and vision to lead Hearts & Homes toward having an even greater impact. We know Chloe will continue to grow our footprint and move our work forward in new and dynamic directions, while ensuring that we stay true to our mission,” said Hearts & Homes Board Chair and Market President at BB&T Thomas Ransom.
“I am honored to be the new CEO of Hearts & Homes for Youth. Rex Smith is retiring after a lifetime of leadership in juvenile justice for the agency and the State of Maryland. Rex’s legacy has been an inspiration for me to lead the agency into its next chapter of service, continuing our dedication to providing youth with a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment to recover, develop, and thrive. I have been working with children, adolescents, and families in the state of Maryland for the past 5 years, with over 18 years of experience in social work and child welfare. As CEO, I will maintain my commitment to providing the best behavioral and mental health services for the youth in our care and find ways to better serve youth and families who are at-risk. I am grateful to this opportunity and for the exceptionally dedicated and creative team of executives, directors, managers, social workers, and counselors who have been the driving force behind our mission for over 50 years.”
Today Hearts & Homes joined Marine Corps from Fort Meade, Board Members from the Columbia Young Professionals Network, and a number of other volunteers to help set up for the Columbia Festival of the Arts, Howard County’s largest ongoing arts event. The Festival brings together the arts community, businesses, local schools, and individuals to create events that shine a spotlight on the arts. This weekend is Free Opening Weekend on the Lakefront! There will be fun for all ages and live music all weekend long!
Yesterday we had the pleasure of introducing our organization to the BNI Columbia Lunch chapter! They are a delightful group of professionals who warmly welcome us and various members expressed interest in getting involved with our organization! Thank you for inviting us, we look forward to getting to know you all!
We have received more than enough donations of backpacks and stuffed animals for our youth so this weej, we shared the backpacks from Comfort Cases and stuffed animals from Petco with our friends at Human Services Programs of Carroll County, Inc.
Human Services Programs of Carroll County, Inc. serves over 12,500 clients each year in a variety of programs designed to help people overcome poverty. The backpacks, school supplies, clothing, books, and stuffed animals will be shared with at-risk or low-income children and families in Carroll County.
We are glad to support another organization with our same community values and we are grateful to our friend Michelle J. McLeod from Honorary Nieces and Nephews, Inc. for helping us deliver the donations!
Hearts & Homes is looking forward to volunteering at Alex’s 5k Run this weekend in Olney! The 5k is hosted by the Alex Popeck “Never Back Down” Foundation and dedicated to Alex Popeck, a 17-year-old junior and outstanding scholar and athlete at Sherwood High School who died as a result of a car accident.
Alex adopted the phrase “Never Back Down” to define his attitude towards life and led by example as a competitive athlete and honor roll student. Although a great student-athlete, Alex was most proud of his accomplishments in his community, and his efforts to reach out and stand up for others was where he truly made a profound mark in life.
Alex Popeck “Never Back Down” Foundation raises funds each year to benefit Montgomery County high school students. Each spring, college scholarships will be awarded to selected seniors whose applications best embody Alex’s qualities of caring, compassion, humility, honesty and his “Never Back Down” attitude. The Foundation will also work toward promoting safe driver education and awareness to newly licensed and future teenage drivers.
The Foundation will generate funds by organizing fun, community-enhancing events that will generate goodwill and the capital required to accomplish its goals.
Alex’s joyful exuberance was a unique gift. His attitude toward life drew people to him – young and old and across all boundaries or bias. Quick with a warm smile and kind word, Alex made everyone feel special and better about themselves. He genuinely cared about the people in his life and made sure every teacher, coach, teammate, competitor and classmate knew they mattered and were valued. Alex’s approach to life was a shining example of how one person could positively impact others by sharing his values and his were simply love, kindness, respect and compassion for all.
In keeping with Alex’s memory and spirit, we are excited to be part of this great event!
Many of the children and teens in our care are referred to Hearts & Homes for Youth by judges who believe that the youth need a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment to get back on their feet. Often youth tell us about their gratitude to people such as Judge Dawson, who often directly tell the youth that they believes in them. The words often motivate the kids to invest in themselves while they are in our care and take advantage of every opportunity to grow and learn.
Recently we heard from a woman who was in our care years ago. Since leaving Hearts & Homes, this young woman has traveled the world, completed her Masters degree at an Ivy League School, and worked with some of the most elite civic institutions in this country. She is extremely passionate about providing others with opportunities and has remained grateful to Judge John C. Tracey, who she credits with having “opened the door for [her] to lead an incredible and gifted life.”
On her 25th anniversary of being removed from an unsafe environment and placed in Hearts & Homes’ Independent Living Program, she recalled Judge Tracey’s “generosity of spirit and warmness” that resulted in her leaving home and building “a very rich and rewarding life with extraordinary friends and a new family.”
She said, “I have replayed the court proceedings a thousand times over in my head through the years. The conversation Judge Tracey had with me, but especially my father, and Judge Tracey’s guidance and compassion in the courtroom, has been a huge source of comfort for me and I believe gave my father some peace and a perspective that he so desperately needed. He passed away many years ago but fortunately had apologized for being an unfit parent. That allowed me to forgive him so I feel a double indebtedness to Judge Tracey.”
Making a person feel understood, accepted, and normal are not small things, they can have a huge impact. Judge Tracey, like countless other Juvenile and Family Court Judges, made a big difference in this young woman’s life – by referring her to a safe home, communicating his faith in her, and sharing his words of guidance with her and her father.
This summer BB&T will put on a summer bash and BBQ for the 175 youth in the care of Hearts & Homes for Youth to celebrate the kids making it through the school year in an effort to turn around their lives!
BB&T has rented out a public park to put on this Bash and has utilized local vendors to help make the event memorable. BB&T associates will serve lunch, play games and socialize with the kids. In addition to the BBQ and Bash, BB&T will purchase and stock general supplies for the shelters that house 175 kids each night and provide each kid with a gift bag of clothes and books. This partnership is part of BB&T’s company-wide community service initiative called the “BB&T Lighthouse Project”. Since 2009, BB&T associates have completed more than 6,600 community service projects, provided more than 325,000 volunteer hours, and helped change the lives of more than 9.7 million people through the Lighthouse effort.
“I have 6 and 1 year old sons and I only want the best for them. As Chairman of the board of HHY, I see so many good kids come to the shelters that had a rough start to their lives and just need a lot of love, support and a second chance at life. So I wanted to do something directly for the kids to show them that they deserve the best and that there are concerned people that are there to support them,” said Thomas Ransom, BB&T’s Market President. “This is our third community service project this year in Montgomery County. We are committed to BB&T’s mission of making our community a better place to live.”
“BB&T and Thomas Ransom have been an amazing partner with HHY and other local charities. Over the years, BB&T has performed “Extreme Makeovers” and other significant projects for our shelters. BB&T is also a major sponsor of our Honors gala which is on October 8th at the Fillmore in Silver Spring. At HHY, our mission is simply to treat each child as if they were our own and BB&T gets that. Thomas and his team are a shining example of Corporate Social Responsibility,” said Chloe Perez, HHY CEO.
This summer Dew More Baltimore is bringing Free Verse workshops to Hearts & Homes for Youth’s Marys Mount Manor Group Home for Girls! Free Verse is an art-based program geared toward developing youth emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Free Verse is modeled after best practices for positive youth development and designed to meet the needs and goals of Hearts & Homes for Youth. Dew More Baltimore teaching artists create a safe space, facilitate thought provoking discussions, teach fun and challenging workshops, and provide platforms for youth to share their ideas, thoughts, and work.
Dew More Baltimore is a community-based organization dedicated to using art and community organizing as tools to increase community engagement in the greater Baltimore Community. The summer program is facilitated by a grant from the Research Associates Foundation.
Through the Free Verse workshops, we want the youth to walk away with:
Marys Mount Manor Group Home for Girls is located in a semi-rural community setting in Anne Arundel County. The shelter was established and specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of adolescent girls. The therapeutic, structured program provides a nurturing, home-like atmosphere where residents have the opportunity to learn appropriate coping techniques and essential life skills. Girls in the group home range in age between 13 and 17 years old and hail from all parts of Maryland. They typically reside at Marys Mount between 9 and 15 months.
Our young women at Marys Mount attend community schools. They are encouraged to utilize the extensive resources that both the program and the community offer. Our professional staff provides 24-hour supervision and the necessary support to help our young women resolve long-standing issues and build appropriate life skills that will ensure a successful transition into adulthood.
Marys Mount Manor offers the following benefits:
Marys Mount is run by Ms. Rhonda Outen and Ms. Juantale Cook who have been part of the Hearts & Homes family for a number of years. They are dedicated to every young person who comes through our doors.
Hearts & Homes for Youth is glad to be working with Dew More Baltimore, which shares our belief that young people need and deserve a supportive community and opportunities to grow and succeed. We are looking forward to seeing the impact of Dew More Baltimore’s program on the development of the young women in our care.
Recently a mother of one of the youth in our care wrote a thank you note to a Program Manager, Ms. Rhonda Outen at Marys Mount Group Home, where her daughter resides. She wrote:
Dear Ms. Outen,
I don’t know if the families let you know, but I want to personally thank you for giving our kids much needed advice, for shaping the future generation, and for showing our lost kids the way. I know that you have put your heart and soul, made plenty sacrifices over the years, and helped us as parents sleep easy at night knowing that they are safe and in good hands. Also, I really appreciate the kind, uplifting words that you always express to me and bringing my daughter back a changed person.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, MB
This mother’s daughter recently graduated and is a few days away from being successfully discharged from our program. We are proud of her, we are overjoyed that her mother is proud, and we are gratified to know that our efforts are appreciated and are making a difference. Check back for a follow up article with more information about this young woman and her mother!
Sometimes children and teens hide behind a mask, feigning self confidence and boldness when in truth they feel vulnerable and are in need. These masks are hard to recognize until the cheerful and resilient youth gets into trouble, abuse substances, or have an emotional or physical outburst.
In his book Real Boys, William Pollack proposes that parents can get behind the mask with the following steps:
Schools can get behind the mask by providing you with a mentor. One of the youth in our group homes found a mentor at his high school and the relationship has made an immeasurable difference in his overall well-being. Another youth in our foster care program found a mentor at school in his football coach who has helped him develop a sense a belonging and a sense of community, and inspired this young man to invest in himself.
Everyone has the ability to make a big difference in a young person’s life. We need to be aware of changing behaviors, anticipate challenging situations and provide support, and don’t always believe that “everything’s alright.”