Enter e-mail address:
By Joni Naylor, Beck’s Hybrid
When Nate and Shannon Anderson of Rankin, Illinois, married in 2000, they had hopes to become parents in the near future. Unfortunately, they had no luck after trying for eight years to have children. That’s when they made a decision that changed their lives. The Andersons made the decision to adopt a child from The Baby Fold, and their lives have never been the same.
“I never realized when we were adopting how close I would be with my son,” said Nate Anderson. “There’s no better feeling than when I get a call in the field and hear him say, ‘Dadda … home.’”
The Baby Fold was founded in 1902 and currently has four locations in Normal, Illinois. The organization embodies Christian principles to help families and children develop the hope, courage and love they need to become whole and healthy. When the Andersons got the call from The Baby Fold that they could pick up their son, there was a wave of excitement that swept over the family. The call aslo resulted in a detour from the Andersons’ return trip after a tractor pull.
Nate, Ryan and Todd Anderson, along with their mechanic and friend Chuck DeMoss, have been members of the Illiana Pullers Association, IPA, for nearly four years. The team pulls and International 1066 tractor called Checkin’ Out.
“We were on our way home from a pull the day we got the call to pick up our son,” said Nate. “Getting that call was better than any adrenaline rush from pulling!”
The coincidence of adopting their son on the same day they were at a tractor pull is a memory that stuck with the Andersons. The events of that special day are what led Nate to introduce an idea to the IPA nearly two years later. At the annual IPA banquet, Nate approached the officers with an idea for a charity tractor pull to benefit The Baby Fold.
“I really didn’t think that anyone would take me seriously when I suggested the charity pull, but everyone was surprisingly receptive,” said Anderson.
Illiana Tractor Pullers Association President, Andy Buhr, has all the experience needed to plan and execute a tractor pull. His efforts, along with the help of many others including Bill Clayton, Airport Manager of the Rantoul National Aviation Center, have made the Andersons’ wish to give back to The Baby Fold a possibility.
The Pulling for Kids charity tractor pull will be help at the Rantoul National Aviation Center on Saturday, August 28, 2010, at 5 p.m. The tractor pull will feature food and refreshments provided by the Gifford Lions Club. The Andersons have been Beck’s Hybrids customers for several years, and approached their dealer Jeff Heidrick and Beck’s District Sales Manager Joe McElhoe about sponsoring the Pulling for Kids event. Beck’s Hybrids has signed on to be the title sponsor for the tractor pull.
“This is an opportunity to support not only our customers, but also the kids that need help,” said Scott Beck, Beck’s Hybrids Vice President. “We try to recognize those customers who do more for the community outside their farming operations.”
Adoption is not a word that is new to the Beck family or many of their employees. Many have opened their hearts and homes to children in need. “Sponsoring this charity event took on a more personal effect, knowing first-hand the need of children all over the world,” said Beck.
“I was truly surprised that Beck’s had stepped up in such a major way, but I realized how special it was when I heard that Scott and his wife had adopted,” said Anderson.
Every year The Baby Fold has a major fundraising event, but this year the land where the event was typically held was sold. The event typically provided funding to help not only with daily operations, but also to provide Christmas presents and toys for the children. The Anderson family saw a need to help support the agency.
“These kids need someone to be in their corner,” said Nate. “If I can help put food on the table for the children, it’s a pretty special thing.”
BASIC FUNCTIONS:
Read the rest of this entry »
The Baby Fold has named eight new board members to its Board of Directors.
Connie Hoselton (Heritage Enterprises, Inc.), Camille Taylor (Normal Community Unit School District #5), Kathryn Wehrmann (Illinois State University), Michelle Anderson (McLean County Auditor), Deanna Frautschi (retired, COUNTRY Financial), Laurie Holverson (State Farm Insurance), Jane Walsh (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship), and Matt Wisdom (State Farm Insurance) will each serve a three-year term for the organization.
Sally Tucker (Bloomington School District #87) and Karl Brondell (State Farm Insurance) were also reappointed to the Board of Directors for their third and second terms, respectively.
The Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of the agency’s operations in the areas of development, programming, and business planning and governance.
From The Pantagraph:
100 years ago May 27, 1910: The Baby Fold is moving from its North Street location in Normal to its new site on Willow Street, recently bought from Mrs. Anderson. The new home will serve about 30 children. The Baby Fold now has nineteen. The home is in its fifth year of operation.
The Baby Fold honored 19 area businesses and organizations in a celebration event held today at the Hammitt Junior-Senior High School. These agencies are employer partners in Hammitt’s Vocational Education program, preparing at-risk students with real-world job experiences.
As part of its curriculum, Hammitt Junior-Senior High School offers Vocational Education to the students at the school. The focus of Vocational Education program is Pre-Employment Skills Training, Career Exploration, and Work Skill Development Training to teach the students the skills that will prepare them with the soft skills to relate to other individuals within the workplace and give them a variety of hard skills to make them employable in a variety of entry-level positions after graduation.
The program offers three types of vocational-education programs for students:
1). Skill development: Students go to various places of business and work either 3 or 2 ½ hours and are paid a weekly stipend per trip from the school for their experience.
2). Work Study: Students work a half a day three to four days a week and get school credit with the place of business paying them an hourly wage.
3). Competitive Work Opportunities (CWO): Students work 2 days a week for a minimum of 5 hours a week with the place of business paying the student. The student also gets a grade which transfers to school credit. This program has shown success in allowing a student to be employable; one student in the program that works at Walgreens has now progressed to working on weekends and after school, basically turning this placement into a full time job for the student.
The 19 local business currently participating in the Vocational Education program are:
Alpha Graphics Dennison Ford Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center East Bay Camp FranMar Chemical, Inc. Gene’s Garage Hardee’s/Red Burrito Heartland Printing Humane Society of Central IL Little Jewels Learning Center Marcfirst McLean County Nursing Home Midstate Transmission Service Team Automotive & Tire, Inc. The Baby Fold Maintenance Staff The Baby Fold RTC Housekeeping Walgreens, Veterans Parkway Walgreen, Oakland Walgreens , Ft. Jesse
Thank you to all the organizations who provide opportunities for our students and families!
In light of current adoption trends, community needs and state funding setbacks, The Baby Fold is moving its adoption focus away from domestic infants and exclusively toward international, residential, and foster care adoptions.
For 108 years The Baby Fold has strived to provide permanent homes for the most vulnerable children in the agency’s care. In 1902, this was orphaned or abandoned infants. Today, there are many families waiting for domestic infant adoption and the percentage of young or single mothers placing their children for adoption has decreased, both locally and nationally.
Meanwhile, the children in greatest need of permanent homes are 1) those living in residential care and foster homes whose families are no longer able to care for them and 2) orphans in foreign countries.
Approximately 300 attendees celebrated the service and support of The Baby Fold during the 7th Annual Founder’s Day event at The Doubletree Hotel in Bloomington on Thursday night. The event, which ran from 6-8:30 p.m., was an opportunity to recognize the many volunteers and donors of the child and family welfare agency.
Two clients of The Baby Fold, Cathy Chaplin and Danielle Dowell, were featured speakers at the event, discussing their successful experiences within the Horizons Counseling and Healthy Start programs, respectively.
The United Methodist Association (UMA) recently named The Baby Fold’s President and CEO Dale Strassheim as Child, Youth, and Family Services Administrator of the Year.
The award was announced on March 6 during the UMA’s 70th National Convention in Burlingame, CA. The UMA, a national body which oversees the health and welfare ministries of the United Methodist Church, cited Strassheim’s resourcefulness and consistent dedication to the well-being of children and families. The award committee also recognized Strassheim for his foundational involvement in the Illinois Great Rivers Alliance, a group of 5 Illinois-based United Methodist agencies who have formed a Limited Liability Company to work together to share resources common to the agencies.
“I am deeply humbled, not for my own recognition but for the acknowledgment of The Baby Fold’s supportive Board and the employees who do amazing work, day-in and day-out,” said Strassheim. “This award reflects the dedication of our staff who truly love children, and are enriching and transforming lives every day. It is so rewarding to work with a group of people who live out the mission of the agency so vividly.”
UMA is a national network of approximately 400 healthcare and human service organizations. UMA provides its members with education, accreditation, networking, communication and business services while keeping with the rich, historical Wesleyan traditions and practices of the United Methodist denomination.
The Baby Fold is a non-profit child and family service organization that serves over 1,000 children and families every year. The organization offers professional services in the areas of adoption, foster care, pregnancy counseling, specialized education, residential treatment, family support and counseling, and operates Horizons Counseling.
About the contest Jackie Haggerty at Studio J Photography began the contest as a way “to honor The Baby Fold’s dedication and amazing work for children and families within our community” and for the members of our community to celebrate each individual child for just who they are. The Every Child is a Masterpiece Contest is an opportunity for the love you feel for your child to change the lives of other children within our community.
Our goal for this year is to raise $10,000 for The Baby Fold!
Here’s how it works:
The U.S. Cellular Coliseum is ‘going green’ this November.
The Bloomington facility will officially host The Baby Fold’s 17th annual Festival of Trees from November 11-14, 2010. The announcement was made during the Festival’s yearly Sponsorship Breakfast this morning at The Baby Fold Centennial Training Center.
Festival Chair Melissa Manness announces the new Festival home
The Baby Fold staff considered several appropriate locations in Normal and Bloomington including the Uptown Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and Illinois State University’s Bone Student Center. The Baby Fold chose the Coliseum for, among other reasons, the centralized location, facility size, downtown business support, and opportunities to bring new elements to the Festival.
“It will certainly be a different Festival than we’ve ever had,” said Di Shepherd, Special Events Coordinator at The Baby Fold. “We’re excited for all of the new opportunities the Coliseum offers for festival-goers and our sponsors.”
IN THE MEDIA:
Festival of Trees moves downtown (WJBC-AM 1230)
Baby Fold’s Festival of Trees to move to Coliseum (The Pantagraph)
Festival of Trees Moving to U.S. Cellular Coliseum (WMBD-31/WYZZ-43)
