When Hope House provides services to clients, our goal is not merely a transaction, but a relationship.
It is often this bond between a Hope House employee and an individual that provides the care and encouragement our clients need to persevere through difficulties. However, not all of our clients garner support through our adult Social Services – some clients just need a minute to play. Brothers Paul and Preston both came to Hope House as infants, only a year apart. They have grown together through the years and now attend preschool. Paul mentioned, “I love going to school with my brother because we get to play together!” Their mom, Patricia, is pursuing her GED while raising three children. When not at work, Paul and Preston’s Dad can be found teaching the boys about car engines or playing basketball with them.
In 2013, Patricia became a participant in the housing program offered through Hope House. She quickly found a home and was thrilled to have a place to raise her family. However, during their time in the housing program, several unpredictable events transpired, causing the family to move suddenly and on more than one occasion. This turmoil led to fear in Paul and Preston. At ages of only three and four, words failed to comfort the brothers in the way they would an adult.
Thankfully for these loveable fellows, Hope House offers play therapy, a type of therapy in which children are encouraged to act out their realities in order to express and process their emotions. David Frankle, a social worker trained in play therapy, has been working with Paul in play therapy for nearly two years and with Preston for about six months. This time in the boys’ beloved “playroom” has not only given the brothers a safe place to express the emotions surrounding some of the challenging events in their lives, but has also fostered an endearing relationship with “Mr. David.” Paul explains, “I really like Mr. David because he is a nice person! He lets me go to the playroom sometimes.” When asked if there was anything he would like to say to Mr. David, Paul replied enthusiastically, “I’d say thank you because he is my friend!”
Reactions like these are truly the heartbeat of Hope House. While we are thrilled to know that these brothers (along with 100% of the students who pass through our preschool) will graduate kindergarten-ready, we also realize that the impact of the boys’ relationship with Mr. David will yield undeniable impact in their lives, equipping them to handle the challenges they will encounter and providing them with a mentor and friend. “I’d say thank you because he is my friend!”
When Hope House provides services to clients, our goal is not merely a transaction, but a relationship.
Play Together, Stay Together
When Hope House provides services to clients, our goal is not merely a transaction, but a relationship.
It is often this bond between a Hope House employee and an individual that provides the care and encouragement our clients need to persevere through difficulties. However, not all of our clients garner support through our adult Social Services –
some clients just need a minute to play.
Brothers Paul and Preston both came to Hope House as infants, only a year apart. They have grown together through the years and now attend preschool. Paul mentioned, “I love going to school with my brother because we get to play together!” Their mom, Patricia, is pursuing her GED while raising three children. When not at work, Paul and Preston’s Dad can be found teaching the boys about car engines or playing basketball with them.
In 2013, Patricia became a participant in the housing program offered through Hope House. She quickly found a home and was thrilled to have a place to raise her family. However, during their time in the housing program, several unpredictable events transpired, causing the family to move suddenly and on more than one occasion. This turmoil led to fear in Paul and Preston. At ages of only three and four, words failed to comfort the brothers in the way they would an adult.
Thankfully for these loveable fellows, Hope House offers play therapy, a type of therapy in which children are encouraged to act out their realities in order to express and process their emotions. David Frankle, a social worker trained in play therapy, has been working with Paul in play therapy for nearly two years and with Preston for about six months. This time in the boys’ beloved “playroom” has not only given the brothers a safe place to express the emotions surrounding some of the challenging events in their lives, but has also fostered an endearing relationship with “Mr. David.”
Paul explains, “I really like Mr. David because he is a nice person! He lets me go to the playroom sometimes.” When asked if there was anything he would like to say to Mr. David, Paul replied enthusiastically, “I’d say thank you because he is my friend!”
Reactions like these are truly the heartbeat of Hope House. While we are thrilled to know that these brothers (along with 100% of the students who pass through our preschool) will graduate kindergarten-ready, we also realize that the impact of the boys’ relationship with Mr. David will yield undeniable impact in their lives, equipping them to handle the challenges they will encounter and providing them with a mentor and friend.
“I’d say thank you because he is my friend!”
When Hope House provides services to clients, our goal is not merely a transaction, but a relationship.
Archives
Recent Post
Categories