Fall festivals, church carnivals, a rodeo…
Are any of these fun activities posted on your October calendar?
They all are on our Raintree Village calendar!
And the kids are excited to attend!
Those kids include several new ones on campus. Please pray that they can adapt smoothly to a new home (which includes staff caring for them) and a new school.
We’d also like to introduce new staff members. We feel blessed to have, not just one, but two skilled maintenance men serving our campus! See the stories below for Jose and Richard.
Both Jose and Richard have been involved in the remodeling project for Live Oaks Cottage. They are applying the finishing touches as we anticipate new youth moving in soon!
Considering the costs (often unexpected) of maintaining our facilities, your contribution today would help us meet those needs as they arise in the future.
As we enter Q4 and begin to see the end of another year, our needs are as great as ever. Your support makes a big difference in our ability to provide a safe, stable environment for vulnerable youth.
Gratefully,
Kenny Holton
Executive Director
P.S. Your unrestricted monetary contribution gives us the flexibility to apply it where needed the most, but in-kind contributions make a big difference too. See examples below.
Speaking of fun activities…
As referenced above, our kids look forward to fun outings. The youth are accompanied by House Parents and Behavioral Specialists on all outings. By going with the kids on outings, they get to know the kids better and build trusting relationships.
Did you know Raintree is the only group home in the state of Georgia that staffs its own Behavioral Specialists on site. Why is this important?
Behavioral Specialists are vital personnel who coach our youth on coping and de-escalation skills. As you can imagine, kids living through the foster care system with its many changes, court dates, and missed expectations can experience extreme feelings of stress, heartache, or anger. During these times, the Behavioral Specialists meet one-on-one with the youth to give immediate emotional support with no need to wait on a state provider from their county to drive in.
Learn more about the important role of Behavioral Specialists on our new website.
Visit our new website to…
Stay Informed with news, stories, and FAQ’s.
Join the Mission by volunteering, donating, and registering to receive our monthly e-newsletter.
Learn something new about Raintree Village:
- What are three ways youth find stability and hope at RTV?
- The flag pole that serves as a focal point of our grounds was transported to our campus in the early 1970’s from another children’s home. What and where was that children’s home?
- Which staff member said, “I love seeing the kids grow and flourish as they turn their past around…”
Staff Spotlight
Jose Adames and Richard Murray
Maintenance Team
Working hard and wearing smiles!
Meet two of the most recent additions to our Raintree Village Team…
We hired Jose Adames as our Maintenance Supervisor in April, and we added Richard Murray to the Maintenance Team last month. Both are skilled handymen and play a critical role in keeping our campus running smoothly.
They were instrumental in remodeling the Live Oaks Cottage in recent weeks.
Jose Adames
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Jose moved to Valdosta at a young age. He feels blessed to have had parents who raised him in a positive environment.
His goals motivate him to keep serving day after day. He has identified certain things he wants to achieve in life, and he believes Raintree is the best place now to help him reach those goals.
He’s been doing maintenance and handyman work for about seven years and has learned a lot in that time which he now applies here.
He tackles any issues related to the upkeep and smooth running of the campus. He fixes problems that arise on a daily basis, whether it be plumbing, electrical, or carpentry. Most importantly, he enjoys making sure the kids are in a safe environment.
Jose shares why he appreciates working at RTV, “Mr. Kenny Holton gave me an opportunity, and I’m making sure there’s never a day he regrets it. The best part of working at Raintree Village is getting to do something different each day but also interacting and bonding with the kids. It’s nice being able to play an influential and supportive role for them.”
Richard Murray
Richard credits his family environment while growing up in Homeville, GA for creating interest in building, carpentry, plumbing, and learning to work with people.
Over the years, Richard continued to gain experience in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, drywall, painting, and finish work. Because of his background, his responsibilities here include taking care of any maintenance that needs to be done.
He says he works the way he does because he loves helping people and working hard.
That applies to his own family too. He loves his two kids and five grandkids!
Even though he’s only been with us a few weeks, he says, “The best part of working at Raintree Village so far is the people I work with are nice and gracious. They have welcomed me and make me feel at home.”
Make a Difference!
Just as Jose and Richard are making a difference on our campus, you can too…
Help make Christmas bright for our kids
We may be focused on fall festivals and church carnivals this month, but it’s also time to invite you to join our Christmas Gift Drive!
The process is simple to participate in this annual tradition:
- The youth fill out their own Christmas Tags, listing items they need or wish they could have.
- You can choose a tag(s) from our in-office Christmas tree or communicate with us to choose a child.
- You shop for the gifts for your selected recipient, and we wrap and hand-deliver to each youth.
- The deadline for bringing gift donations to the Raintree Office is December 12th.
If you or your church are interested in participating or would like more information, please send an email to Nina Wisenbaker.
Make an In-Kind Donation
We are grateful to have had recent donations of food (see picture below), three bicycles, and a minivan!
A local man was selling his used minivan. We called to inquire about the details and selling price. When he heard about Raintree’s mission, he and his wife decided to donate it to us instead!
Just a couple of weeks later, our main van was totaled due to the high cost of repairs on a vehicle that’s too old. We smiled as we saw God in the timing! This serves as another example of God’s creative provision for Raintree!
If you are considering an in-kind donation, please contact the Raintree Office at 229.559.5944 to ensure we can accept your donation at that time. Raintree can provide a tax-deduction form for donations.
Your gift may be part of God’s timing and provision for Raintree!
Donate now on our website or mail a check to:
Raintree Village
c/o Kenny Holton
3757 Johnston Rd.
Valdosta, GA 31601