January 15, 2019 FRIENDS NEWSchildrenssquare.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/... · Writing an updated resume would have to wait just a bit as every spare minute was dedicated to creating

January 15, 2019

Board President’s Thoughts I plead guilty - sometimes I take my friends for granted. I assume my friends will always be there for me, but friend-ships should never be assumed. Lasting friendships require nurturing and a mu-tual respect.

This holds true for our Friends of Chil-dren’s Square. The Friends Board wants YOU to know how much YOU are appreciated. We do not take your annual Friends membership for granted. The Friends of Children’s Square would not exist without YOU and others like you!

Since 2004, the commitment and generosity of our members has allowed us to sustain our purpose, which is to “To promote community interest and stimulate charitable activities that support Children’s Square, U.S.A.” You’re so important - thank you for being our Friend!

Dennis Keithley, President

Friends of Children’s Square USA

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Board Members 2018

Dennis Keithley, President

Phil Kennedy, Vice President

Barbara Schlott, Secretary

Suzanne Winter, Treasurer

Jeanette Schierbrock, Past Pres-ident

Traci Jerkovich

Cindi Keithley

Donna Pritchard

Joan Von Tersch

(New: Jill Faust)

Annual Meeting

Please come Friday, February 8, 2019, for our Annual Meeting luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Lemen Visitor Center on cam-pus. If you haven’t received an invitation and wish to attend, please phone your RSVP no later than Noon, February 6, to Joette Shaw at 712-325-5843 .

Campus: N. 6th & Ave E

GPS Address: 500 N. 7th St.

Council Bluffs, IA 51501

FRIENDS NEWS January, 2019, Newsletter

The Friends Board 2018: Traci Jerkovich, Joan Von Tersch, Barbara Schlott, Cindi Keithley, Phil Kennedy, Jeanette Schierbrock, Dennis Keithley, Suzanne Winter and Donna Pritchard.

January 15, 2019

Friends of Children’s Square Appreciation Event

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At our Friends’ Appreciation Event in September, the Prairie Gators Band played for us to dance the night away!

Friends’ Annual Meeting Luncheon 2018 Mission Possible party for staff from Friends

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Why I am a Friend of Children’s Square USA

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then leave through the front door, head high. I will fully admit that the next two years were full of joys, success-es, pain and many tears. Two years! I can get through two years!

As I mentally prepared for my departure from this mis-sion-focused agency I found out that I would be joining

the ranks of parenthood. My husband and I were blessed with the gift of our first daughter. This realization brought pure joy to my heart along with a short reprieve on my plans to move on to an easier job that didn’t impact my being as this one did. I made it two years plus a few months and now I can move on.

Writing an updated resume would have to wait just a bit as every spare minute was dedicated to creating that perfect nursery for our baby. Colors to choose, stuffed animals to ac-cent, color matched shelves to build consumed my free time. We were creating the best love-filled nursery ever known to man because our baby deserved it. Soon the announcement was made and the children began to chatter saying “Mrs. Snedeker is going to have a baby”!

With the nursery ready it was time to finish that resume. Help-ing these children and their families was hard and I had met my internal commitment of two years. Time to move on to a less challenging job especially now as I too was adding a child to this world.

You know how people say that they remember the tiniest of details of monumental life events? On the day that my depar-ture plans took a new path I was wearing a pink sweater and black pants. I still find it funny that I remember that. As I stood in the office, “Caden” came in to see me. Now this child had challenged me deep to my core as he did everyone else who worked with him. Anger and rage, at times, consumed him until he collapsed into your arms and would drift off to a sleep where sometimes the nightmares started the cycle again. Much older than his years, at age four, Caden spoke the lan-guage of a child in therapy.

Friend Continued on page 4

My story goes back to 1987 when I be-came an employee of Children’s Square. I first began my career fresh out of college as a house parent at a residential youth pro-gram in St. Joseph, Missouri and then as a director of an early childhood program in Houston, Texas. My husband and I then relo-cated to the Omaha-Council Bluffs area. My next challenge as the director of Children’s Square’s Children’s Center seemed to be a perfect fit as it tied together working with families in crisis and added the early childhood component. I didn’t believe it was possible to find a job that better suited me.

Reality set in very quickly though and I soon ques-tioned my role at the Square. Although I supported the mission, every day brought very difficult emotions and challenges. I found myself in a position of seeing first hand what child abuse looks like. I never knew that a three year old child could be filled with so much rage. Being young and somewhat naive, I had never wit-nessed a five year old child cry uncontrollably when a police officer intervened after (my) child abuse report was called in. Although I had read in textbooks the im-pact of emotional abuse, I was not prepared to have my heart torn apart as families dealt with the real life issues of trauma. As the director of the program my responsibilities included not only supporting the chil-dren and their parents but also to support my staff as they too battled with similar emotions. How many times did I say - “but if we were not here for our fami-lies, then what”?

Although I shared this message with the staff after each difficult situation the reality was that it was I who couldn’t handle it. The pain in their little eyes was more than I could bear. The hardships families endured was out of my league; however, I have never been a quitter. I made a very conscious decision that I would remain as the Children’s Center Director for two years. Some-how that seemed a reasonable amount of time that I could make myself handle the endless challenges and

January 15, 2019

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Friend Continued from page 3

Marching into my office, Caden announced, “Mrs. Snedeker, you have a baby in your tummy!”. With my mind drifting a bit, I responded the typical adult re-sponse about how my precious baby was going to grow inside me for about nine months just as you did when inside your mommy’s stomach. I was in no way prepared for his response. With a firmness in his voice, Caden responded with a message that has been etched in my soul ever since. His reply - “I know (so matter of factly). You know what? I used to yell at my mommy when I was in her tummy. I would yell, MOM-MY STOP DOING DRUGS! You know what Mrs. Snedeker, she didn’t listen.”

This precious four year old, brown eyed curly haired little boy simply stole my heart. How could I leave? It’s only been two years! As I stood there, with a life grow-ing inside me, I knew I was going nowhere. Every child, not just my daughter, deserved to be cherished and loved, guided and taught. Two years turned into 26 years and the number of staff grew that I shared “but if we weren’t here for our families, then what? Difference was, this time I meant it.  So why be a Friend? Simply stated because if we are not here for our families, then what?

Becky Snedeker

Friend of Children’s Square USA

Friends Help Out at Children’s Square

by Mary Ann Hanusa

The Friends of Children’s Square were a great help this year! They went all out to help with the annual Chip in for Children golf event, from helping to secure prizes to working all day at the golf course the day of the event. Friends were busy registering players, setting up tables and supplies, and bringing water to golfers via golf carts! Thanks to all for another great golf day!

In the summer, attention was paid to the Friends’ garden on the campus of Children’s Square, and then in the fall, the Friends were on hand to help stuff the hundreds of Jason Awards invitations! The following month, on the day of the Jason Awards, the Friends were out in force at the Mid-America Center in the morning, help-ing to set up the banquet room and arranging pictures of past Jason Awards recipients in the hallways. Special thanks to Tracy Jerkovich for organizing and arranging the table decorations! The Friends helped with registration and were great hosts for the special evening.

We are grateful for the Friends’ dedication to Children’s Square and our children and families!

Thank you!

January 15, 2019

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The Friends of Children’s Square U.S.A. made a sig-nificant investment in programs, services and per-sonnel in 2018 through their financial support total-ing $5,300.

Support included an annual sponsorship commit-ment at the Bronze level. This support underwrites the Chip in for Children Golf Event and the Jason Awards and in turn, leverages other support and op-portunities for programs and services.

The Friends also made an anniversary gift in recogni-tion of 2018 being the 136th year of service. These funds directly supported program operations. Pro-grams and services were supported in many other ways as well. School supplies were purchased, la-beled with the Friends logo and distributed at a back- to-school carnival for children in foster care. A membership was also purchased that paved the way for children to visit the SAC Museum on several oc-casions. In addition, patio furniture was purchased for the enclosed area adjacent to the new residential cottages. This outdoor seating provides a place for children and their families or others to enjoy fresh air and some privacy for visiting. In addition, a gener-ous gift was made to support the spiritual life pro-gram. This program must be 100% privately funded and helps ensure that children have access to men-tors, fellowship, study, service learning and other faith formation activities.

Two broader purpose gifts were extra special. New tires and battery cables were funded for the utility

carts that get supplies to all the cottages, take visitors around campus that otherwise could not do a tour and otherwise meet needs every day. An employee appreciation gathering also received funds to pur-chase pizza and sodas. It is crucial that we care for the caregivers and make sure they have the proper equipment, tools and other materials to best serve the children.

Caring beyond direct service needs also includes periodic sprucing up of the Friends Garden. This year several friends tackled the garden’s landscaping and paid to have the engraved bricks reset. The bubble fountain was repaired. Fresh mulch and helping hands from First Christian Church volunteers as well have helped advance the overall mainte-nance and look that is representative of this signa-ture project of the Friends.

Finally, the Friends sponsored an annual member-ship that was auctioned at the Christmas Enchant-ment event. We are honored to put these funds to good use and look forward to welcoming our newest member at an upcoming event…hopefully the An-nual Luncheon scheduled for Friday, February 8, 2019, at 11:30 a.m.

On behalf of the Children’s Square staff, board and the children and families served, THANK YOU to all the Friends members for your support and service. You have made a meaningful difference!

Thanks for being a Friend! By Carol Wood, President & CEO

January 15, 2019

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Promoter $500 & above Dennis & Cynthia Keithley Polina Schlott

Partner $250 - $499 .99 Deb Koesters Barbara Schlott Carol Wood

Advocate $100 - $249.99 James & Rebecca Burgart Bud & Anne Crowl Kathryne Cutler John & Traci Jerkovich Maria Fernandez Michael Flanagan Margarite Goodenow Ilona Holland LeAnn Hughes Sharon Martin

Rena Muir Westelle Nelson Donna Pritchard Marty & Billie Shelton Jeanette Schierbrock Joan Von Tersch Crampton Bill Wege

Benefactor $50 - $99.99 Michael & Patricia Barker Colleen Bartel Clifford & Deanna Boese Ed & Emma Chance Gary & Jan Ehrens Carl Heinrich Kathy Rieger John & Jean Rinde Dave & Becky Snedeker Linda Steensland Daniel Whitehead Mike & Suzanne Winter Vicki Woodford

Sustaining $25 - $49.99 Lisa Jansen Bartholow Eddith Buis Dan Dawson Kenneth & Susan Dierks Donald & Michele Hotz John & Lilly Kennedy Cheri Montgomery

Other Joette Shaw

Membership-(Christmas Enchantment) Bryon Bothwell

(updated (1/10/2019)

Friends of Children’s Square Members 2019

As we wrap up 2018 and celebrate the accomplishments, we now turn our attention to 2019. Thank you to the fol-lowing for their 2019 membership renewals and new memberships! We continue to accept memberships by mail, on line PayPal, in person at the upcoming Annual Meeting & Luncheon on February 9, and throughout the year.

North 6th Street & Avenue E

Council Bluffs, IA 51501