2005 Success Stories
-
Upload
carolyn-ashworth -
Category
Documents
-
view
214 -
download
0
description
Transcript of 2005 Success Stories
Our Success Stor ies ser ies was created asa way to communicate with our fr iendsand donors in an effic ient, inexpensiveformat. Each month, we feature one ofour programs and the inspir ing stor y of achi ld whom the program has helped. To beadded to the Success Stor ies email l ist ,just send your complete e-mail address tosuccessstor [email protected].
From the beginning, Kayla distinguished
herself at Eliada as a bright, sensitive stu-
dent with deep self-respect, even when
dealing with obstacles. Upon leaving
Eliada for public school in 2003, her goals
included college and becoming a social
worker – to help others benefit from her
experience and understanding. Kayla’s
determination and intelligence at
Asheville High School helped her earn a
scholarship to Asheville Buncombe
Technical Community College. Now,
transferring to UNC-Charlotte with
scholarship assistance from Eliada, Kayla
begins an exciting new phase of life.
She began her university career open to
new experiences and to new people: dur-
ing the first week of classes, she and her
three roommates kept an open door pol-
icy, inviting people in to get to know oth-
ers in the dorm. She dove into college
activities and has already been recog-
nized for her leadership qualities, earning
tickets to movies and theme parks.
Kayla’s enthusiasm for campus life shows
also in her favorite class – Freshman
Seminar – a kind of orientation course
guiding young students in their early
experiences with campus involvement.
Eliada has much to do with Kayla’s posi-
tive, open attitude to college. “Eliada
taught me to work on my goals, to stay
focused,” she says. The first person in her
family to attend college, Kayla plans to
see her goals through to completion. She
says, “I’m interested in social work, but
would now like to major in education
and be a kindergarten teacher – I
absolutely love working with kids!”
Congratulations on all your success,
K a y l a !
Eliada is
proud of
you and all
y o u r
a c c o m -
p l i s h -
ments.
Kayla, November 2005
S U C C E S SS T O R I E S
Our Success Stories series was created as a wayto communicate with our friends and donors in anefficient, inexpensive format. Each month, we fea-ture one of our programs and the inspiring storyof a child whom the program has helped. To beadded to the Success Stories email list, send youremail address to [email protected].
Ben and his family came to Eliada’s Family
Partnership Program (FPP) a year ago. The
then 13 year old had become violent, could-
n’t get along with his mother, and increasing-
ly withdrew to his room in deep depression.
This withdrawal became so serious that
Ben’s mother would take meals to his room,
trying to ensure he would eat. When not
alone, Ben lost himself in video games and
would sometimes leave home without per-
mission; his disrespectful treatment of his
mother worsened, and his family grew more
concerned with each passing day.
Once established with his FPP worker, Ben
slowly began to change. He laughs and says of
his worker, “He wouldn’t leave me alone until
I would talk. Then I started to trust him and
realized this helped.” His new outlook
prompted Ben to join in church activities
that he had previously ignored; now he
enjoys being a member of the youth group
and spending time with friends.
Ben’s success means that his involvement
with FPP ends in mid-January. He will miss his
worker and hopes they stay in touch. He now
loves to ride BMX bikes; in fact, his talent at
stunt riding has earned him trophies. He is a
gifted photographer and writer of short sto-
ries, now working on a novel.
Ben’s mother believes that FPP has helped
her son to control his anger and frustration.
Program workers provided invaluable sup-
port in the beginning when she needed
immediate help, and later when she needed
encouragement, examples of role modeling,
and help with setting limits and expectations
for Ben’s behavior. She feels that FPP’s pres-
ence in their home made the crucial differ-
ence: in her words, FPP staff “helped make
our home a better place.”
Ben, December 2005
S U C C E S SS T O R I E S
Our Success Stor ies ser ies was created asa way to communicate with our fr iendsand donors in an effic ient, inexpensiveformat. Each month, we feature one ofour programs and the inspir ing stor y of achi ld whom the program has helped. To beadded to the Success Stor ies email l ist ,just send your complete e-mail address tosuccessstor [email protected].
Alex “Lex” Brenner is a bright 15 year-old:
open, with a quiet self-confidence. When he
first arrived at Eliada about a year ago, he
was, in his own words, “pale and strung
out.” He cared only about drugs, argued
with everyone, and wouldn’t listen when
people tried to point out his strengths. The
drugs made Lex unable to focus in school
or on any thoughts of the future.
A few things happened to improve life for
Lex: he got off drugs and re-discovered his
love of sports and physical activity.
Forgotten under the influence of those
drugs, Lex’s talent for sports came back to
him first through rugby. One staff member
in particular, a rugby player himself, took
Lex to local games and taught him about
the sport. He’d love to play on a team in
Chapel Hill, where he’ll be returning home
in August. Then, Eliada’s mini-bike program,
NYPUM (National Youth Project Using
Mini-Bikes) entered Lex’s life. NYPUM, a
national program, teaches participants to
ride and maintain mini-bikes. Lex enjoys
the freedom of riding, the way it “gives you
time to think about yourself and your life.”
His experience with cycle maintenance has
inspired him to pursue work in this field at
home.
Above all, Lex looks forward to his new life
in Chapel Hill. Once off the drugs, his aca-
demic performance at Eliada improved, giv-
ing him the freedom to pursue subjects he
now loves. He’ll be starting school again in
August, and talks
excitedly about his
elective classes in
technical theatre.
Lex is now able to
say, “I can’t wait for
public school.”
S U C C E S SS T O R I E S
Our Success Stor ies ser ies was created asa way to communicate with our fr iendsand donors in an effic ient, inexpensiveformat. Each month, we feature one ofour programs and the inspir ing stor y of achi ld whom the program has helped. To beadded to the Success Stor ies email l ist ,just send your complete e-mail address tosuccessstor [email protected].
A special young boy named Brandon
came to Eliada’s summer camp this
year and shared a lesson of courage
and strength.
In his seven years of life, Brandon has
gone through more adversity than
most people endure in a lifetime. In
2000, during an accidental fire,
Brandon sustained third degree burns
over 90% of his body. He underwent
dozens of plastic surgeries and spent
weeks in a burn center. Though he
must deal with the physical scars, his
enthusiasm for life and willingness to
try new things remain undaunted.
Brandon had never experienced sum-
mer camp before; with his parents’
help, he decided that Eliada’s Summer
Adventure Camp would be a great
choice. Eliada provides a unique sum-
mer camp program for over 100 chil-
dren every year ; activities include
swimming, hiking, horseback riding,
and adventure trips. The experience is
a great way for children to develop
friendships and self-confidence.
With a big smile, Brandon started his
first day of camp with excitement and
some nervousness. This was a summer
of firsts for him: he rode a horse for
the first time, visited his first aquari-
um, and sharpened his swimming
skills. Most importantly, Brandon had
the chance to make new friends and
build confidence. Brandon’s story is an
example of how your support of
Eliada’s mission – Helping Children
Succeed – is realized whenever chil-
dren discover their strengths and gifts.
Brandon,October 2005
S U C C E S SS T O R I E S