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Narrated by Judith Ebwe Ngome, Publicity Secretary of the Georgia Chapter..
For the ExSSA-USA 2015 Impact Day activity, ExSSA-GA chose to visit Calvary Children’s Home which is a safe haven for children whose mission is, “to provide a safe, loving, Christian environment for children needing placement apart from their families, where each child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential in their personal, emotional and spiritual life”.
Visit: www.calvarykids.org to learn more about them.

With prior knowledge of their needs, Sakerettes of ExSSA-GA arrived there loaded with donation items ranging from food, personal care items and other necessities they wished for.  Not knowing  what to expect, the ladies were ready to shower these new-found friends  with love, support and encouragement.  As Judith Ngome narrates,

‘We were warmly welcomed by Mr. Allen Young,fondly known as “Uncle Allen” by the children. Uncle Allen gave us a tour of the campus. We were also able to meet some of the children and interact with them. Their smiles and warmth came naturally as a blessing. The joy in their faces reflected the warm, homey, family environment or ‘houses’ they were provided with. These houses  are fully equipped homes with bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and recreation rooms. Each house holds no more than 10 children and has a “caregiver” who is a sort of house parent. Allen Young and his wife, Tammy, occupy such a role in one of the houses. The children’s education is funded all the way through high school and even for college if they show the determination and ability to work hard and be successful in their classes. The campus has a playground, pavilion, fire-pit, gymnasium and large field for outdoor sports and activities.

There’s no doubt how much love these children receive from those who care for them. Together with the help of donors and volunteers, Allen and Tammy have established a system that primarily upholds the emotional, physical, social, and health care needs of the children as most important. Family unity is essential to them and they maintain this value by keeping siblings together, keeping the possibility of reunification with original families, eating together as a family and treating them with love.

God is the foundation for all the service that this home provides. In so many different ways the children are told, “God loves you”, by their caregivers and those who visit the children.

“The future of the Calvary Children’s Home will be, as it always has been, totally dependent on God as He cares for us through the hearts and hands of our friends. We are committed to providing the best possible home to these children but we cannot do the work alone. Your interest and support is also important because of the encouragement it provides. It demonstrates to our children that they really are important as our friends take such an interest in them. The impact of that message is one that will remain with them throughout their life.”  Allen explained.

The impact of that message is one that will remain with the Georgia ExSSA ladies for a long time because although we came that day to provide a service, meeting the children and seeing how they are being taken care of, and observing the generosity of other donors, listening to the success stories, left an indelible mark on their hearts forever.

The best part of this visit is that many of our own children, got to personally meet children who are in need of love and a friendly face. They were great in how they interacted through play and casual conversations, making every effort to remember their names even after we had left. PRICELESS!!!