By Staff
GIVING SPIRIT Bunny Stephens, left, of the Women of the Moose presents a Spinoza bear to Carrie Ponder, executive director of Hope Village for Children. The bear is an interactive therapeutic toy designed for emotionally disabled children. Photo by Marianne Todd/The Meridian Star.
By Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
Oct. 3, 2001
Donations are pouring in at Hope Village for Children, and volunteers are coming forward. Soon the children will follow.
Executive Director Carrie Ponder said Tuesday that four more cottages on the Hope Village for Children campus are being renovated. The work should be finished in November, and Ponder anticipates two cottages opening later that month.
Hope Village for Children is located on 23rd Avenue, the site of the former Masonic Home. Its first cottage opened in August and was leased to Peavey House, a short-term home for abused children. That cottage is filled to capacity with a dozen children. Since the Peavey cottage opened, Ponder said, it has served 28 children.
The new cottages will house the charity's first permanent residents, providing a safe and secure home for abused and neglected children.
Recent fund-raising efforts to benefit Hope Village for Children have included a fish fry on Sept. 29 sponsored by Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church; a concert on Sept. 25 by musical group Diamond Rio, sponsored by Super Stop; and a Womanless Beauty Pageant on Sept. 22, sponsored by Catholic Youth of Meridian.
Upcoming fund-raising events include:
Health Management Association Golf Tournament at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Wednesday, Oct. 10.
Comcast Cares Day: Employees of Comcast Cable will volunteer to help clean and organize at Hope Village for Children on Saturday, Oct. 13.
College Cares Day: Volunteers from Meridian Community College will help clean the Hope Village campus on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
Southern Farm Bureau Classic Golf Tournament, Birdies for Charity campaign, at Annandale Golf Club in Madison Monday, Oct. 29-Sunday, Nov. 4.
Run for Hope 10K Trail Run at Bonita Lakes, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10.
Steve Gillespie is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3233, or e-mail him at sgillespie@themeridianstar.com.
The newly elected officers and members of Hope Village for
Children's board of directors are:
Chairman The Rev. Elvin Sunds
1st vice chairman Dr. Raymon Leake
2nd vice chairman Sela Ward
Secretary Ann Alexander
Treasurer Myles Frank
New board members John Johnson, Cheri Keuven, Dr. Margaret Morrison, Chuck Rea
Standing board members Justice Reuben Anderson, Beth Clay, Wanda Cooper, Wink Glover, Melanie Mitchell, Leisha Pickering, Karen Rush, Kelly Smith, Ricki Tucker, former Gov. William Winter