Hendrick Home for Children and Dyess airmen continue to serve the community

On Sunday, November 12, the Hendrick Home for Children celebrated an early “Family Thanksgiving” with over 50 of their residents and families. This annual event brings resident children together with their Hendrick home families to the center hall for a festive lunch, followed by decorating their cottages for Christmas.

In a heartwarming surprise, Dyess Airmen also attended the luncheon with the residents and their Hendrick families. Following the lunch, the airmen went on to decorate the main building for the holidays, bringing the spirit of Christmas to all residents of the Hendrick Home for Children.

A Thanksgiving to Remember

Children usually come to live at the Hendrick Home for Children when their biological parents or guardians are incarcerated, sick, or deceased, or if their natural grandparents are no longer able to care for them. In this model, the biological parent or guardian can still visit with the children on weekends and take them home for the holidays or for summer break.

It is in this spirit that the Hendrick Home for Children hosts their annual “Family Thanksgiving.” This year the lunch occurred on November 12th, to allow for the children to be with their biological families over the actual Thanksgiving break.

The airmen who volunteered on that day are members of the "Dyess We Care Team." The Team was founded by then-installation commander, now-retired Major General Joseph P. Stein, and now-retired Master Sergeant Gordon Storey, over 22 years ago. According to Storey, this program is very unique and "uses community service to build leadership, create opportunities for mentors, and enhance comradery and strengthen resiliency."

His goal was to provide an outlet for younger airmen to serve their greater community and form a connection with it in the process. Nick Goodman, one of the airmen volunteers, reflected on his time volunteering with the Hendrick Home and with Dyess We Care, and remarked that being a part of this team will be the highlight of his time at Dyess.

It was easy to see the joy that Goodman, the Dyess airmen, and Hendrick staff brought to the faces of the children of Hendrick Home. At a quiet moment in the luncheon, a little girl who is a resident even ran up to President Robert Marshall of the Hendrick Home and embraced him tightly without saying a word. This was not the only instance at the luncheon that demonstrated that this place is more than just a house for displaced children, it is a loving and warm home full of family, in any sense of the word.

According to Marshall, the holidays can be tough and at times traumatic for the children. It is in this spirit that the Hendrick Home staff and Dyess airmen pulled out all the stops to make the holidays truly special for all who call Hendrick home.

The Home: a vital part of the continuum of care

The Hendrick Home for Children is not part of the foster system, and therefore takes no federal or state funding. Its main goal is always to reunite children with their biological parents when possible.

On average, the Hendrick Home for Children houses around 100 children and families at any given time, but also focuses on allowing the custodial guardians as much access to the children as possible.

At the October 26th county commissioners meeting, the Taylor County Commissioners passed a resolution in line with the CARE Act to recognize the Hendrick Home for Children as part of the care continuum. The goal of that resolution was to recognize that “this model works in our community,” and to allow it to continue, according to Helen Usera, Vice President of Development.

That vital model is a family-based approach to care prior to the foster care system. Each cottage on campus has two "parents" who reside there full-time in order to provide stability in the lives of the children who haven't had much in their lives up until that point. The emphasis here is that this system allows for “continuity and healthy relationships to grow,” according to Usera.

As evidence of this stability that Hendrick provides, cottage "mom," Julie Miller, emphasized that the Hendrick Home for Children is "just home" for all of the residents. The staff works hard to provide normal experiences for the children, in addition to cooking meals and help with homework.

When asked why she and her husband became cottage parents, after having four grandchildren of their own, Miller simply stated "the Lord." She felt called to uproot her life and was in the process of moving when she heard about Hendrick Home. She "didn't know places like this existed," but with tears in her eyes, she remarked that this is "what she is supposed to do."

History of the Hendrick Home for Children

The Hendrick Home for Children has been a pillar of the Abilene community since its founding in 1939, when Ida and Tom Hendrick established the Hendrick Trust. This trust helps to fund the children’s home in addition to the hospital network throughout Abilene.

While the home happily cares for school-aged children, care also extends past school-age. According to Usera, Vice President of Development, the best part about this foundation is that unlike the foster care system, the children don’t “age out.”

When children graduate high school or turn 18, the Home provides them a safe apartment and also job-training and care. Additionally, if a local single-parent is unable to afford housing but wishes to care for their biological children, the Home will provide them one of their single-parent family apartments.

While the news can sometimes be dismaying, it is stories like these that remind us that humanity, empathy, and kindness still exist in our world today.

To find out more about the home, please see Home - Hendrick Home for Children for more information or for their upcoming fundraiser, Dancing with the Abilene Stars on January 11th, 2024.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Home for children and Air Force volunteers spread joy for Thanksgiving