Kemmerer Voices
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News and Events
New Kemmerer Village DVD
In May of this year we will begin our 98th year in this ministry. We just recently completed a new video Helping Today's Child. We have had a very positive response from everyone who has viewed the video. The DVD is 16 minutes long and includes Kemmerer Village staff and children sharing information on our programs and how we are helping children today. If you would be interested in viewing the DVD please contact Alice Christenberry at 217-226-2132 or by email at alice.christenberry@kv.christian.k12.il.us
Kemmerer Village Needs List - January 2012
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Prom Dresses and Accessories Art Supplies Coloring Books Crayons Drawing Pencils Erasers Pastels (Non Toxic) Chalk Markers (Non Toxic, Not Permanent) Large (Fat) Markers Large Rolls of Paper ( Art Paper) Safety Scissors Lots and Lots of Glitter Glue Water Colors (Paints) Tempura Paints Paint Brushes Puffy Paint Paper for Painting (Lg. Sketch Pads) Poster Board Colored Paper Construction Paper Lots and Lots of Stickers Glue Stencils Lots of Beads (No Glass) Hemp String (The thin kind) At least 6 sets of Gel Pens Ribbon Modeling Clay Plah-doh Tissue Paper Embroidery Thread Stretchy String Plastic table cloths Coloring posters Things to paint (wood, Styrofoam, felt, etc.) |
Games - A couple of each of these Cranium Apples To Apples Trouble Trivial Pursuit (Not the Adult Version) Scene It Playing Cards Card Games: Phase 10 Uno Skip Bo Puzzles Sports Stuff Footballs Kickballs (Red Rubber) Bean Bag Toss Soccer Balls Volleyballs Baseball/Softball Mitts (both left and right handed) Gift Certificates or Gift Cards WalMart • J C Penny • T J Max • Phone Cards • Pizza Hut • McDonalds • Sears Hickory Point Mall, Forsyth & White Oaks Mall, Springfield, IL Sheets for twin beds Towels (used and new) Coats (a supply of coats are kept for new residents) |
Kemmerer Village 18th Annual Charity Golf Classic
The 18th Annual KV Charity Golf Tournament was held on September 9, 2011 at Oak Terrace Golf Course in Pana. One hundred thirty six golfers participated in a shot gun start at 8:00 a.m. Entry fee of $75.00 included 18 holes, cart, lunch and prizes. All proceeds go to benefit the Children of Kemmerer Village. We give a big thank you to all the golfers who participated in this year's tournament.
A Very Special Thank You to the following businesses who contributed to offset the tournament cost:
Major Sponsors were: The Kemmerer Village Board of Directors, Wood & Co. Investments of Denver CO, First National Bank of Pana, Hickory Point Bank Agricultural Services, McGuire, Yuhas, Huffman & Buckley, P.C., Craftmasters, Pepsi Refreshment Services all of Decatur , 1st National Bank and G.A.B. Electric all of Assumption, Diss, Inc./ Neikes Floor Covering and Meyer, Austin, & Romano all of Taylorville, Hunzeker Service Agency, Clifton Gunderson and Central States Media, all of Peoria, Drummond Company of Birmingham, Alabama, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals of St. Louis, Wright Automotive, Hillsboro Energy of Hillsboro, Bill and Marilyn Hopper of Taylorville, The Illinois Coal Association, American Central Insurance all of Springfield.
Feature Hole Sponsors were: Pizza Man, Morrell Auto Service, Oak Terrace all of Pana, FBS/Wareham's, Angelo's of Taylorville, Moweaqua Golf Course Nokomis Auto Body, Rutledge Youth Foundation of Springfield, The Micar Company , Maverik Marketing, Illini Pharmacy (Rambo), Sam's Club all of Decatur, Mutual Of Omaha of St. Louis, Gordon Foods of Bloomington, Indian Springs Golf Course of Fillmore, Timber Lakes Golf Course of Staunton, Piper Glen Golf Course of Springfield, Angus Links Golf Course of Windsor.
Winners in the Championship flight were: First Place Brett Shuff, Mike Holland, Kirk Campbell, Mark Canada Second place B.J. Russell, Brennan Murphy, Paul Worthey, Joel Baker. Third place Greg Zimmerman, Greg Lipe, Bob Noyes Chad Zimmerman (Determined by score card playoff).
Winners in the “A” flight were:
- First Place: Jim Giles, Whitey Patton, Kurt Schinzler, Rod Phillips
- Second Place: Brian Beube, Mike Beube, Mike Steers, Brad Beube
- Thrid Place: Pete Goetner, Paul Dalbey, Thomas Boelens, Jim Whitehair
(Determined by score card playoff)
Whitey Patton won the 50/50 drawing and Our Early Bird Drawing Winners were Jim Modla, Greg Chambers, Tom Weiss, Ron Saathoff!
2nd Annual Kemmerer Village Walk-A-Thon
The 2nd Annual Kemmerer Village Walk-A-Thon took place on a breezy sunny morning on 9/17/11. Over 1,000 laps were walked by all of our residents totaling 121 miles. Every resident on campus had multiple pledges from staff and/or from individuals in nearby communities. Watching our youth walk/jog/run as many laps as they could to raise as much as they could for this cause was heart warming. Everyone put out a lot of effort on this day as each resident had an hour total to get in as many laps as possible. We raised a total of $785.25. All proceeds will benefit the St. John's Children's Hospital. A few residents will travel with staff to the St. John's Children's Hospital within another week or so to deliver the proceeds to the hospital. Our youth will get a chance to learn about the St. John's Children's Hospital and will get a chance to meet some of those who are a part of the St. John's Children's Hospital Organization.
I wanted to take a moment to just thank you for everyone's contributions and efforts in making this Walk-A-Thon a successful one. This wouldn't had been possible if it wasn't for each and everyone of you stepping up to the plate to help our teens make a difference in the lives of others. This event really helped our teens build empathy and altruism toward others. We hope to continue to make our community outreach program at Kemmerer Village successful.
Coats and Blankets Collected for Shelter
The Kemmerer Village resident's and staff participated in a coat and blanket project to benefit the Helping Hands Shelter in Springfield, IL which serves homeless persons. Therapeutic Recreation Staff Brandon Smith organized a group of our residents to collect donations of coats and blankets throughout the month of December, which were then delivered to the Springfield Shelter the week of Christmas. The donations were collected from Kemmerer Village employees, their families and friends. the efforts of Brandon, our residents and staff resulted in 159 coats and blankets being collected.
The Coat and Blanket Collection is the latest activity that was completed as part of Kemmerer Village's Community Outreach program. We believe this program helps to teach our residents the importance and value of helping others in need, and the personal gratification that can come with that.
Kemmerer Kids Reunite
Once a Kemmerer kid, always a Kemmerer kid was the atmosphere at the reunion held for former Kemmerer Orphan's Home and Kemmerer Children's Home residents on Saturday, August 14 at what is now Kemmerer Village in Assumption, IL.
Pat Hill McLaughlin, a Kemmerer Village resident from 1964 to 1972, organized the reunion for people who lived at Kemmerer Village when the home was an orphanage from 1914 to 1983, rather than the alternative school, which Kemmerer Village is today.
McLaughlin said there was no definitive list of people who went to Kemmerer when it was a children's home, but she used AT&T white pages to find former residents and then asked them whom they remembered.
On Saturday about 50 former residents, teachers, and community members, some arriving as far away as California and West Virginia, gathered in the gymnasium and greeted old friends with smiles and tears.
"Kemmerer is a place where we were allowed to be a family. These people are not my friends, they are my family and that is why I step up and always organize a reunion," McLaughlin said.
Mike Havera, Kemmerer Village Administrative Director, provided tours of the old administrative building (original orphanage) and cottages where many of the attendees grew-up, as well as the new facilities.
Tessa Giles, a former house-mother, attended the reunion with her two daughters, Melissa Giles Zuber and Tricia Giles Stewart, all of Assumption. Giles and her husband, Jerry Giles, raised their two children, who at the time were six and ten, along with 12 other girls as a family in the Buchanan Cottage from 1974 to 1979.
Debbie Spencer Hoffman, one of the twelve girls who lived in the Buchanan Cottage, traveled from Virginia to reunite with Giles, Zuber and Stewart at the Kemmerer Village reunion.
"Jerry and Tessa loved each and every one of us and gave us healthy guidelines and rules to live by that so many of us desperately needed," Hoffman said. "You don't realize until you get older how much they (Zuber and Stewart) sacrificed to share their parents with 12 orphans in the cottage."
Hoffman said the Giles treated everyone fairly, and if one of their daughters did something wrong they were in trouble and sitting in the hard chair too.
"It was like having ten sisters," said Zuber and Stewart. "we would all watch TV in the evening, and everyone of us would run to get your spot. All of us were in every chair, couch, or empty spot on the floor."
Sandra Green Tebrigge, another former resident who attended the event, holds the record for longest stay at Kemmerer Village. Tebrigge lived there for 15 years from 1962 to 1977. Tebrigge said she was four years old when her father dropped her off at Kemmerer Village, and she shifted in and out of foster homes during the holidays but never got adopted.
"If Kemmerer hadn't been here, I don't know where I would be today," Tebrigge said. "This is like one big family; everyone takes care of everyone."
Dorman Shirey, 91, of Sullivan, IL., was the oldest former resident of Kemmerer Village in attendance. Shirey said he was treated very well during his time at Kemmerer.
The Kemmerer Village Women's Auxiliary
The Kemmerer Village Women's Auxiliary helps to provide additional funding and support for specific needs of youth who are served by Kemmerer Village. The Women's Auxiliary serves as the "heart and hearth" of the Kemmerer Village mission; helping to provide such basic and practical things as bed sheets, bed comforters, shoes, graduation gifts, sponsoring our KV "Prom" and special off-campus outings to name just a few things. Without the support of the Auxiliary, most of our youth would not have had the opportunity to experience these type of things. The Kemmerer Village Women's Auxiliary has provided these types of services to generations of young people.
We encourage you to join the Women's Auxiliary by either attending our meetings, which are held on-campus the first Wednesday of every March, May, September and November; or by contacting us by phone or email (217-225-2132) or Alice.Christenberry@kv.christian.k12.il.us and Jessica.Webb@kv.christian.k12.il.us
