After 18 months of full-time medical leave, I am finally well enough to begin working part-time.
Over the years, I have held a pretty wide variety of roles. I've found myself drawn repeatedly to several, often overlapping areas including (in alphabetical order): ethics, faith, music, teaching (both adults and children), and writing.
At present, I'm focusing on two of my
favorite areas: working with children and freelance writing. In this post, I'll introduce you to Jill's House, a respite ministry for families of children with intellectual disabilities.Parenting is a challenge for anyone. Families with special needs children face physical, emotional, medical, relational, and financial strains the rest of us can only dimly comprehend. The purpose of Jill's House is to minister to these families by giving them a regular break from the stress of 24/7 special needs care. The goal is to build a pattern of respite into these families' lives by having their children stay at Jill's House for a day or two each month.
Jill's House opened just over a year ago. It boasts a beautiful, 14,000 square foot, chalet-like facility with a full complement of activity rooms (music, art, games, a gym, a library, and even an indoor pool). There are also three large general activity areas ("pods") with bedrooms for those children who stay overnight. Two of the pods are open now. The third is scheduled to open next month, bringing our total capacity to between 30 and 40 children. (I understand that there is only one other comparable facility in the world, located in Israel.)
The building has a "camp" theme. Visiting campers join teams of one to three other children, depending on their level of independence, under the supervision of a Child Care Specialist (that's my role), with other staff, supervisors, and nurses always available for additional support. It's a remarkable place to work. I'm impressed and amazed by the staff, and the commitment not only to the children, but to their families. It's hard work--physically and emotionally--and I'm still very much in the learning curve, especially with the multitasking required to meet the children's varying needs and capacities.
The good news is that families are really being served. One couple recently wrote that Jill's House allowed them to take their first break in 12 years! If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, and know families of children with special needs, tell them about Jill's House. (Don't wait--we are already booked almost to capacity all the way into February.) Have them check out the website (click here), which includes a short video, and written stories of several families already benefiting from the ministry.
