Volunteer emphasis brings new life to Wade
We are excited to announce several new collaborative agreements that will bring reliable volunteers and caring adult mentors to the Wade Center. We are partnering with the Foster Grandparent Program to place foster grandparents in the Wade Center. The program matches up seniors, age 55 and older, to at-risk youth and special needs children. Pictured above are Program Coordinator Margaret Donithan, Wade Executive Director Bonita Mitchell, Volunteer Earleen Branch and Volunteer Betty Wright.
We are also in the process of hosting volunteers with the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) to serve in a variety of positions. Brenda Miller Manns is the director of RSVP.
Our executive director has created a detailed program for the coordination of volunteers that will assure they are properly trained and receive a great experience at Wade while they serve. Current Level One volunteers include Carmella Wallace, Stephanie Wallace, Todd French and Lester Sturdivant. Level Two volunteers include James Green, Jeffrey Woods, Wanda Lee, Andrae Flack and C.J. Mitchell. These talented individuals, and other volunteers, serve in all capacities at Wade. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form to donate your time on our DONATION page.
Wade hires new executive director
The Board of Directors is excited to introduce the Wade Center's new executive director, Bonita Mitchell.
Born in McDowell County, Mitchell has personal experience with the challenges facing children and teens in southern West Virginia. With the support of her family, faith in God and the help of many mentors along the way, Mitchell has grown to become a recognized community leader with a passion for helping others achieve similar success.
Wade Board President Susan Young said, "We interviewed many qualified candidates, but when we met Bonita, we quickly came to see that she was the best fit for our organization. We unanimously decided she was the right person to move the Wade Center forward."
Mitchell says her focus is just that -- moving forward. She says she appreciates all that has been done to bring Wade to where it is today, and she intends to build on that foundation to keep the Wade Center growing.
Mitchell received her master's degree in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University, but her experience goes far beyond traditional book learning. She has lived in Bluefield for the past 10 years and has worked for several local organizations that, like Wade, seek to improve the community.
As Bluefield State College's Educational Outreach Counselor, Mitchell focused on motivating young people to pursue higher education and plan for their college career. She says this will be a key part of her work at Wade too.
As CASE WV's Community-Based Abstinence Education Program Coordinator, Mitchell helped fight our area's teen pregnancy crisis. Her job involved educating students about the benefits of waiting until they are married before pursuing sexual intimacy. Again, this will be a critical part of her vision for Wade.
Mitchell said, "Anytime we go into the schools to teach them the curriculum on waiting for marriage, I have them do a life plan. We talk about the value of waiting - delayed gratification. Most teenagers make hasty decisions that lead to long-lasting consequences."
During her career, she has also helped to write several successful grants. She says one of her favorite programs matched foster grandparents with special needs children. She said, "We found seniors who were lonely at home but had so much love to give. And we matched them with children who needed love and attention."
Mitchell says she has a deep faith in God and serves as Associate Minister at Living Waters Apostolic Tabernacle in Beckley. She has birthed her own unique ministry out of that church called "Hearts-2-Heal," which conducts conferences that minister to married couples and help singles prepare for marriage.
Her list of accomplishments is long, but Mitchell says her most valuable wisdom has come through her personal experiences as a parent, as she raised her own children with a love for learning and a love for the Lord.
Wade Board Vice President Melanie Protti-Lawrence said, "As a mother myself, I feel Bonita is a good fit for Wade because of her experience in and love of parenting, coupled with her passion to revitalize the community by providing services for those most in need." Protti-Lawrence added that Mitchell comes to Wade with valuable experience and knowledge, including a background in grant writing, leadership and program design and implementation.
Mitchell said, "Every job I've ever had has prepared me for this position here. Now, I'm at the Wade Center, and I look back and see God was behind it all."
She says her deceased father, Benjamin Brogden, Sr., always pushed her toward education, as did her 88-year-old mother, Nannie, who still lives in McDowell County. She intends to pass on the values she has learned -- such as valuing books above video games and acting with integrity in all situations. She said, "You have to show them there's a world out there. There's something to hope for, dream for and reach for." You can read more about her appreciation for all the mentors who have brought her to where she is today on Wade's BLOG.
Looking our her window at more than 200 of the young people who are part of Wade's Summer Camp and Summer Mission Programs, Mitchell said, "I'm here to embrace this moment. It's a challenge, but I'm excited about it because I know it's where I'm supposed to be. I really feel like this is a calling more than it is a job, and I have so many dreams and plans for this place."
Mitchell says she realizes she will need a lot of help to bring those dreams to life. "There will always be a lot of spectators and commentators, but Wade is looking for activators and motivators," she said. "Anyone who is willing to accept the challenge, please join us! We're not perfect, but we're going to continue to strive for excellence, and we need a lot of help from the community to make it happen!"
Daycare center now accepting enrollment
 The Wade Center's new daycare center, Dorothy's Door, is now open, after being licensed by both the health department and the Department of Health and Human Resources as of June 1, 2010.
Dorothy’s Door is licensed to serve a up to 24 infants and toddlers, and Daycare Director Rhonda Musick says she expects the center will be filled to capacity by the end of summer.
Named in honor of Brian Checchio's mother, Dorothy, the new daycare center aims to provide a safe environment for the children of teen and college-age mothers so that the parents can continue their education. Musick says that without affordable daycare, single mothers are often unable to complete their education, leading to many of the problems the Bluefield community currently faces.
The daycare center will provide care for children from 6 weeks old to 4 years old by highly trained staff whose training includes CPR, fire safety, specialized infant/toddler training and child abuse recognition.
Musick said, "We definitely want to get the moms involved too. We really want to make this a resource for them by providing parenting skills and mentoring." To accomplish that goal, Wade has established a separate program, Teen Mothers of Preschoolers (Teen MOPS), which helps provide young mothers with a social support network.
Many community organizations and individuals have donated the materials needed to get the daycare shelves stocked. Wade Board Vice President Melanie Protti-Lawrence says the leadership team would especially like to thank the Community Foundation of the Virginias for awarding Wade a $1,000 grant in 2009, which was used to purchase cots and other necessary supplies for Dorothy’s Door.
The Quota Club also supported the daycare center by funding the purchase of playground equipment and providing installation and landscaping services. Dr. Michael Hegstrom and his wife generously provided the cribs for use in Dorothy's Door. Also, Wal-Mart donated televisions, high chairs, a playpen, a walker, diapers and wipes and other basic necessities.
If you would like to be involved or support Dorothy's Door financially, please call (304) 910-0712.
Summer camp students plant gardens
This summer, Wade's students are learning about nutrition, the environment, faith and community, all while getting their hands dirty in the garden.
The green-thumbed students work in five flower beds, planting vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.
Summer Camp Teacher Amanda Warren says, "A lot of kids honestly don't know where their food comes from. With gardening, they'll learn how food grows, where it comes from, and its nutritional value."
Warren says she hopes students will also learn the value of hard work as they tend to their plants and watch them grow as the summer progresses. With the increased focus on academics this summer at Wade, she also hopes certain tasks in the garden will help students improve their abilities in areas such as math and science.
At the end of the summer when the plants are ready to be harvested, the students will sell them at local farmer's markets.
Generous donations by Lawrence Brothers, Inc., and Hurley's Greenhouses made this program possible. If you're interested in helping out, CONTACT US!
Mission teams come to learn and serve
This summer, Wade is hosting 22 mission teams as part of its Urban Appalachian Project. Each Saturday evening, church vans from all over the country pull into our parking lot. Nearly 100 eager students jump out and move into Wade's ground floor, which will be their home base for the next week.
They come to Wade to get hands-on experience with mission work, but they also help the community in many ways. These teams are serving at over 30 local work sites, providing services such as home repair, painting and yardwork. They also volunteer at the Bluefield Union Mission and help the Wade Center staff its summer camp program.
The mission staff of the Wade Center makes sure the experience is beneficial for the students by providing orientation, training and many opportunities for reflection and spiritual growth.
On Sunday evenings, the groups meet at the East River Mountain overlook for a cookout and worship service. Also, each weeknight, students take part in a high-energy modern worship service led by Youth Director Tanner Cline featuring songs and devotions designed to help them connect with God through their experience at Wade.
Taylor, a 19-year-old student from an Atlanta-based group, said, "The mountain worship service was definitely my favorite thing about the trip. It felt cool to admire God's work from the mountain."
Sarah Brannan, the leader of a group from Mississppi, said her favorite thing was making new friends. "For us, meeting new people is awesome because we're from such a small town," she said. "Being exposed to different people and different challenges all while being thrown out of your comfort zone really helps our kids grow spiritually with this unique experience."
Team leaders also say they have noticed that their students gain a sense of satisfaction that comes from helping others. Tristen, a 14-year0old student from Mississippi, says her favorite activity was serving at a local nursing home and interacting with people.
Looking back on all the new experiences she gained at Wade, Tristen added with a smile, "This trip has made me realize the world doesn’t revolve around me. These kids need all I can give them, so I’m doing my best."
Wade's 5K race brings in almost $2,000
Almost 100 runners competed in Wade's Second Annual 5K Run and 5K Walk. We want to thank all those who participated and made the event a success by raising almost $2,000 while having a good time. Next year, we hope to expand and also offer a 10K run as well.
Wade students help miners' families
 Students at Wade took a brief time-out from their after-school activities to make sympathy cards for families who lost loved ones in the Upper Big Branch mining disaster.
In her card, Shampayne wrote, "Dear Miners' Families, I know your hearts feel bad, but remember God loves you. I am praying for you twice a day and for your loss." Fourth-grader Ashlie writes, "Dear Families, I'm sorry for your loss and hope you feel better. I know how it feels to lose someone in your family."
The cards featured original art and words of encouragement from the children. After-school Director Omi Oakes says the children have been praying for the mourning families every day during after-school.
The inside of fifth-grader Tyrese's card read, "The Wade Center is praying for you. I just want to tell you God is with you." Yashauna, another fifth-grader, wrote, "We are all praying for your family. Jesus is watching over you, and we know God is taking care of you."
Oakes says we want the children to be focused on spreading God's love to those who are hurting.
Yamyya ended her letter with these words: "I know it hurts to have someone very close gone. Just know that Jesus Christ is always with you and your family."
Wade partners with Concord University again
This summer, Concord University sent a group of master's degree students to the Wade Center to observe children in an academic setting. The students, who usually observe children at local schools throughout the school year as part of their learning experience, say they are excited to have this extra opportunity for a two-week observation.
Wade's summer program is implementing a new, yet familiar style of academics for the children. Instead of grouping children by grade level, Summer Camp Director Omi Oakes says she plans to create "families" which will place students of many grade levels together in the same classroom. This format will be new to the Concord students as well.
Executive Assistant Vicki Mahood, says, "The one-room school house setting will present a challenge for the Concord students, but it will be a good one."
Often times, student observers from Concord will go on a summer hiatus from sitting in on classes. However, the Wade Center's summer academic programs present a great chance for Concord's students to watch and even instruct.
Youth college trip provides encouragement, inspiration
For many kids involved in the Wade Center's after-school program, a college education seems far out of reach. Leaders at the Wade Center are determined to change that.
One way of expanding students' horizons is through annual trips to visit colleges. Recently, Wade's high school students visited three colleges as part of the first annual Youth College Trip.
Ben Westra, Jamie Bowman, Corey Love and Omi Oakes supervised 19 high school students with the goal of showing them they are capable of going to college.
Athletic Director Westra said, "It was incredible to see the students dream of a bigger future for themselves. They saw the advantages that college brings and realized it wasn't as far out of reach as they thought," he said, noting that almost all of the students are on the "B" honor roll.
Westra said, "One of our high school students said to me, 'I can do this!' and they could!"
This year's trip included tours of Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State and Clark Atlantic University. Students toured the campuses, received information about the schools and ate in the cafeterias.
Westra said that another important of this trip was showing students the benefits of living in a college town or bigger environment. To do that, he also took the students to an amusement park and the mall in Charlotte so they could experience the culture of larger cities.
Leaders at Wade say they expect to offer similar trips at least once a year in the future.
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