Buckner Children’s Village Celebrates 40 Years

By Brittany Black
BEAUMONT, Texas –

After 40 years, Buckner Children’s Village in Beaumont is a place where traditions are still carried out and smiles are still being made.
Buckner welcomed more than 175 former residents and their families to Buckner Homecoming June 11. The day’s activities included catching up with old friends and staff members, a worship service, a group photo and plenty of activities for friends and family.
“We think our kids need a place to call home and we try and make sure no matter how old they are, we treat them like family,” said Laura May, Buckner administrator in Beaumont.
The Children’s Village provides residential cares for children who have been removed from their families, often due to abuse or neglect.
Former resident Amy Archer and her old friend Elinda Martin Taylor sat at a table reminiscing while Archer’s boys played. Archer lived at Buckner from 1993 to 1995 and Taylor from 1994 to 2000.
“One time they took us camping in the woods. We ended up running into someone else’s tent, and the lady didn’t even speak English. That was the first and last time I went camping,” Archer said with a laugh.
Taylor credits Buckner for her desire to be dedicated to her family and spiritual life.
“Buckner showed me how important it is to spend quality time with your family,” she said. “I remember always going to devotional and worshiping with a large group.”
C.T. Hooker came to Buckner Children’s Village when he was 11 and stayed until he graduated at 17.
“When I first got here I was quiet and shy,” he said. “Being here forced me to speak and it is why I am where I am as an adult. I have done so many things with Buckner that it is home to me.”
The children who lived at Buckner Children’s Village aren’t the only ones with great memories. Irene Whitaker worked at the Village for 38 years for support services and has vivid memories of taking the children shopping and helping them get ready for prom. She considers all the children she worked with as her own.
“Look at all my children, these are all mine,” Whitaker said after pointing to a wall filled with pictures of grads in their caps and gowns. “I was so proud when one of my kids graduated and made that big step.”
To learn more about the ways you can support children living at Buckner Children’s Village, contact Rhonda O’Neill at roneill@buckner.org or call 409-866-0976

(BEAUMONT, Texas)— The evening of May 13, 16 foster children from Buckner Children’s Village ran through a crowd of volunteers yelling ‘Move that Van’—Extreme Home Makeover, style.

They were returning to their home at Buckner Children’s Village after Keller Williams Realtors and community partners spent the full day putting roughly $20,000 in donations to use in renovations for the emergency shelter.

Keller Williams Realty is an international organization, but for its company-wide day of service, the local franchise selected a very local goal. RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day is an annual Keller Williams Realty service initiative dedicated to improving the local communities of franchise offices. On May 13, 2010, Keller Williams Realty market centers in the US and Canada closed their doors, and the associates spent the day donating their time to renewing and energizing aspects of their local communities. Buckner Children and Family Services was extremely pleased to have been selected as their charity of choice in Southeast Texas, to receive much-need renovations at the Emergency Shelter located at on the campus of Buckner Children’s Village.

The emergency shelter is the first place a child goes when they are removed from a home due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. The gifts and the work done by more than 40 volunteers, does a lot to give the children a more cheerful environment.

Laura May, who serves as administrator for Buckner in Southeast Texas, said the emergency shelter houses up to 16 children between the ages of 5 and 17.

“It was truly like an extreme home makeover edition. They came in one day and painted 5 children’s rooms, 5 bathrooms, they accented walls in the living room and kitchen. They installed new kitchen appliances including a double convection oven. They put together a new entertainment system and had a big screen TV donated. It really looks like a new home and so welcoming. The kids stood on one side of the van and screamed “move that van” and then ran through a cheering group of Keller Williams staff and volunteers from the community. It was great to watch the kids run into each of their rooms jumping up and down squealing with excitement of how bright and colorful their rooms were. They each had 2 new outfits laid out on their bed and they showed off their new stuff to each other. They love the chalk board wall and can’t wait to write messages everyday. It was such a sweet blessing for our staff and children to be uplifted by the generous spirit of giving that was outpoured from these Keller Williams staff and so many community groups. This home will be a cheerful, safe, welcoming home to so many children and at a time of crisis for them. For many it will be the nicest, safest place they have ever lived!.”

“Seeing the children’s faces as they walked through their rooms that evening and being able to show them how much the community cares about them was overwhelming,” said Leah Cleveland from Keller Williams Realty. “It was an honor to work with Buckner and have the ability to make such an impact on not only these beautiful children, but every child who walks through those doors from this day forward.”

Some sponsors include:
Allstate Insurance: Mike Roby
American Home Shield: Susan Miguez
Arc Angels Motorcycle Ministry
Call AHollier / Handyman
Chem-Dry
Chili’s – Beaumont
Cornerstone Media
Golden Triangle Title Services
Great American Cookie Company @ Parkdale Mall
Hadley’s Furniture
Home Masters Inspection Services
Hooks Title & Abstract Company
Lowe’s Home Improvement
M & D Supply
Manning’s Office Supply
Market Basket
McClelland, Samuel, Fehnel & Busch, L.L.P.
McCowen Paint
Mr. Sparky Electrical Services
National Property Inspection
Patriot Bank Mortgage
PODS
Quality Stone Works
R&P Employer Solutions, Inc.
RPR Group Payroll
Sherwin Williams
Stewart Title Company
Sutherlands
Target
The Mortgage Group
Triangle Blueprint
Tri-Supply
Wal-Mart
Wallpapers, Etc.
Wells Fargo Bank
Westin Mortgage: Calim Atkins & Ruby Martin
Video Monitoring
Zummo’s Meat Co.
…and numerous individuals!