Advocacy

 

I have researched and written advocacy journalism on topics ranging from affordable housing in Hampton Roads, VA (published Port Folio Weekly, 11/2004) to contraceptive equity (published Port Folio Weekly, 12/2004), and more. Below are a few pieces published in Richmond, VA.

 

 

Jump to:

Razing the Bar: Addiction Treatment for Women in Richmond

No Workshop, No Jumpshot: MBL – Where Class Act Stars Learn More Than Basketball

Meeting Children Where They Are: International Adoption in Richmond

Finding Solutions in the Pines, July 31, 2006

Preserving the Past, April 24, 2006

Crossing the City’s Divide, January, 2006

 

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Razing the Bar: Addiction Treatment for Women in Richmond
from City Edition, January 6, 2007
by Cesca Janece Waterfield

 

 

For Ellen Hall, years of casual drug and alcohol abuse to cope with psychological issues culminated at a party one evening. She’d been drinking heavily when a man handed her a pipe she believed to be marijuana. It was crack cocaine. Though she’d used drugs and alcohol since she was a teen, her addiction to crack, she says, was “instantaneous and powerful.” As she watched her dependence escalate over the coming months, she sent her 8- year-old daughter to live with family, recognizing even in the midst of her addiction that her lifestyle could not provide for the needs of a child. Not long after, she lost her job, and then her house, finally finding herself living on the streets of Gilpin Court, “basically surviving,” she says.

 

Her experiences are not unique. Though addicts of every background share similarities, a growing number of professionals in the field of recovery cite research suggesting that issues underlying drug and alcohol abuse differ significantly between women and men, with respect to issues triggering use, length of untreated dependency, impediments to treatment and more. They produce research that confirms that for effective holistic treatment, programs must address unique needs of women.

 

A clinical study conducted at the Medical College of Virginia in 2002 concluded that a history of sexual abuse significantly increases the odds that a woman will develop psychiatric disorders and drug and alcohol dependence. Results of the study are particularly haunting because while earlier research had concluded that women hospitalized in residential treatment programs show high rates of sexual abuse, these data reflect responses from the general population, suggesting a high level of untreated dependency, and making clear the urgent need for greater availability of gender-specific treatment in Richmond.

 

Hall works today as a counselor with the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA). She says, “Gender specific treatment is important because so many women have histories of sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence. Drugs help mask the symptoms of unresolved issues. They become a way of coping.”

 

Dr. James May, director of RBHA’s Substance Abuse Services, admits, “In the early ’90s, it became apparent to me that [Richmond] needed gender-specific treatment. I made it my business to ensure that we provide those types of services.” Today, May says, “RBHA offers the largest gender-specific service continuum of care in the area.”

 

Under RBHA, several programs comprise a comprehensive system of Women’s Substance Abuse Services, including residential placement for pregnant women and women with children, transportation to treatment-related services for child and mother, childcare during the mother’s treatment, community-based case management and more. Additionally, the Richmond Family Drug Treatment Court (RFDTC) brings together city agencies and services to provide parents with skills training and case management to help stabilize families while one or more member is in recovery.

 

Still, many see room for improvement. LaShaun Evans, a certified addictions counselor and specialist in public health, says, “In recovery, we tell people, ‘one size fits all.’ It doesn’t. Resources for women in Richmond are so limited. You have to deal with issues of gender. For women, there is a [history] of domestic violence, a lot of sexual abuse at the hands of people in their lives. We’re talking generations of abuse.” Untreated psychological issues, Evans says, “lead a woman back into using.”

 

The role of motherhood will likely complicate the situation. A woman considering recovery may keep quiet about her addiction for fear of losing parental rights. When she decides to begin recovery and keep her family united, options are often limited. “From my personal experience and from working with mothers who seek recovery, the issue is, ‘What am I going to do with my children?’ ” Hall says. She completed two programs that did not also serve her daughter, and after brief periods of sobriety, she resumed using. “The loss of your child keeps the cycle going because it’s such a painful loss. For me it was the one thing that perpetuated my using. It was the most poignant loss I’ve ever experienced.” In 1996, she learned that Rubicon Incorporated had recently instituted the first program in Richmond that allowed addicted mothers to live with their children for residential treatment. A few months later, she and her daughter entered.

 

Today, Rubicon’s long-term treatment focuses on addressing the woman’s addiction and improving familial dynamics – methods that prove to be more substantial than “symptomatic treatment,” but instead go a long way toward preventing the cycle of abuse and addiction. Rubicon’s objectives maintain that when obstacles to mothering are removed within a recovery program, a woman is able to view motherhood as an incentive to get and stay sober. Hall admits, “I was fortunate.”

 

“Laurel Timmins,” 28, credits motherhood as providing the impetus for her recovery from heroin addiction and says it continues to sustain her commitment to staying clean. At 14, Laurel was physically attacked, brutalized and abandoned. Years of self-examination led her to believe that the attack contributed to her drug use and subsequent addiction. Eight years ago, she was living illegally in a condemned apartment building. She found that heroin allowed her to escape memories of abuse and was a bond with her live-in boyfriend. In 1999, she attributed a missed menstrual period to weight loss associated with her addiction. She learned later that she was pregnant. When she told her boyfriend that she planned to seek an abortion procedure, he pleaded with her to have the baby. “He believed it was a chance to fix our lives,” she says. “I don’t understand exactly why to this day, but I said yes.”

 

 

Since she lacked health insurance, she says, “I made a collect call to my dad and he was there to pick me up in 10 hours. I left everything and everyone there.” Her father found an isolated farmhouse and rented it for the purpose of the couple’s recovery. A self-professed “geek” who has always been an avid reader, Laurel had some ideas regarding what they would require. “Even as a junkie, I lurked around the library reading science magazines. I read in [one] about brain chemicals; that chocolate addicts could be treated with the same injection they gave heroin addicts to wake them up from [overdoses.]“

 

 

She packed a case of organic dark chocolate, Advil, water, Pediatlyte and some food, and the couple “barricaded” themselves. She describes the nearly month-long process of withdrawal as “worse than anything I can possibly describe in words.” But they endured, and once clean, Laurel read constantly about prenatal nutrition and visited her physician regularly. Within a month, her boyfriend had relapsed. Hours after his daughter’s birth, he disappeared to buy heroin, before returning to attempt recovery again. Today he has no contact with either Laurel or his child and continues to battle addiction. Laurel admits to considering using during “really rough times,” but seven years later, she has not.

 

 

“I can’t explain how lucky I am, or what I did to deserve it. I have a healthy and mentally gifted daughter who gave my life enough meaning to make me stop. I guess the fear of ruining someone else’s life was enough for me, especially when that person was an innocent being with limitless potential. We tend to compare things by our own level of severity, 10 being equal to how we think we would feel if our worst fear were to be realized. My 10 is [ruining] my daughter’s life with my own problems. So no matter how bad I feel the need is, it’s never a 10.” She entered therapy briefly and says, “I think it did help me. Not having insurance, [the cost] of therapy is rough.”

 

 

She involves her daughter in her daily recovery. “She knows that I had some [addiction] problems. She knows that she’s very special, and she probably saved me. I’m never going to hide it from her. I think honesty will help her make better decisions.”

 

 

More than half of RBHA’s clients seek treatment for heroin addiction, but May makes clear that there are wide regional differences in what drugs pose risks in different communities. Regardless of the addiction, many experts caution against alternatives to traditional treatment. Yet those who’ve successfully tried non-traditional methods say the only rule for them was finding and sticking with what works. “I never did any NA groups,” Laurel says. “I went twice, but it didn’t appeal to me. I’m just not a good group person.”

 

While Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and related 12-step programs are cost-free, finding affordable residential treatment remains challenging without health insurance. “Richmond is rich in private providers of care,” May says. “But insurance coverage is very limited in many instances. It doesn’t necessarily support the cost of treatment over the time necessary for someone to get into a state of recovery. When people can’t get the treatment needed in the private system, they get dumped into the public system. We have a demand that far surpasses our capacity to provide those services.”

 

While most insurance providers have some type of coverage for treatment programs, many consumers report difficulties in getting actual reimbursement. Most insurers place limits on behavioral health treatments, even if they’re generous regarding physical ailments. Several bills in Congress and the Senate have sought to mandate “parity” to endow behavioral health comparably with physical. Admittedly, mental health assessments can be subjective, and over the years insurers have fallen victim to false claims. But many in the field believe that insurers have reacted to a “high relapse business” by putting unfair restrictions in place. Consumers must remain aware of their policies and advocate with their employers for responsible coverage of behavioral health treatment.

 

 

“You’re so hindered by money, not just in Richmond, but anyplace. The person has to have insurance. But what if you’ve got no insurance?” Evans asks. “Everybody looks at substance abuse and it’s so punitive. Instead of looking at substance abuse as a moral dilemma, we need to look at it as an illness. Again, I think [treatment] is a personal thing. We tried to name it, to call it something else. The only thing I can call it is a spiritual awakening.”

 

 

As residents and professionals work to ensure that Richmond is a city in which one may discover and sustain a life free of drug and alcohol dependence, Evans makes clear, “Your bottom is wherever you get off.”

 

 

Community Partnership Addresses Addiction

 

Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance (SAARA) brings together the mutual efforts of local businesses, families, and the Richmond community to offer residents of the Commonwealth a legislative voice and a system of services to assist people in recovery. Studies show that by advocating for accessible treatment, providing community education, and working with youth alongside other state and national organizations, taxpayers receive financial gains by investing in programs like SAARA, because of decreased crime-related costs, fewer judicial proceedings related to drug offenses, lowered health care costs, and reduced losses to victims.

 

 

SAARA began as a grassroots effort in 1997 in Fairfax, Virginia and incorporated as a non-profit a year later, receiving a five year Federal Demonstration grant. When that grant ran out in 1999, Ellen Hall, who has seen first hand the value of SAARA in her own recovery and as a substance abuse counselor says, “I desperately wanted that program to continue.”

 

 

Thanks in part to The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant with the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, SAARA now operates as an integral element of comprehensive treatment in the Commonwealth and Richmond. After nine years of growth, SAARA now has twelve chapters. The Alliance hosts meetings at least six times annually in Richmond and publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Recovery Advocate. Individuals, families, and organizations can become Members for a reasonable annual cost, and donations are accepted.

 

 

SAARA of Virginia, Inc.
4202 Park Place Court, Suite B
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Phone (804) 762-4445
Website: saara.org

 

 

On That Note

RBHA has several programs to meet the needs of families with one or more member in recovery. Through collaborative services of area agencies and businesses, women and mothers can receive treatment during pregnancy and postpartum, and with their children. Programs include residential, outpatient, and case management.

 

 

Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
107 S. Fifth St. Richmond, VA 23219
Women’s Services Coordinator (804) 819-4000
Website: www.rbha.org

 

Rubicon Inc.
1300 Mac Tavish Ave.
Richmond, VA
Phone (804) 359-3255 Ext. 3049
Website: www. rubiconrehab.org

 

 

Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Substance Abuse Services
1220 Bank St.
Richmond, VA 23219
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1797
Richmond, VA 23218-1797
Phone: (804) 786-3921
Website: www.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov

 

 

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No Workshop, No Jumpshot

MBL – Where Class Act Stars Learn More Than Basketball
from City Edition, September 4, 2006
by Cesca Janece Waterfield

 

Janet Campbell, executive director of the Richmond Midnight Basketball League (MBL), greets me with a handshake and the phone rings. I sit in the small trophy-lined office on Clay Street while the petite Chicago native responds to a succession of callers about GED class schedules, counseling referrals and baby-sitting arrangements. “You will be there,” I hear her say to one young woman, gently, but with a clap of certainty. “If you need to bring your baby, we’ll be here to watch the baby tonight.”

 

As I wait, program participants and volunteers pass through, stopping to introduce themselves and to chat. Each is warm and straightforward, unguarded about their personal histories, and quick to talk about the MBL. As minutes pass, I realize this experience is just how Campbell, who moved to Richmond 6 1/2 years ago, planned for me to meet this program: openly, and without pretense. Here at the Midnight Basketball League, there is no media broker in place to field questions. All subjects are open to broaching.

 

When you’re laboring long days to help kids, and thereby the community at large, time is precious, and gimmicks, wasteful. Truth saves time. Richmond’s chapter of MBL has been associated with the National Midnight Basketball League since 1995. Among its multi-faceted mission: “consistent exposure to life-sustaining information and values.” Funded by the Richmond police department and various local foundations, including the Jackson Foundation, MBL offers biographies of its board of directors on its Web site and will answer any question pointed at them, as they reach out into spaces many of us don’t care to look.

 

Janet, who grew up in Chicago neighborhoods recognized as highly dangerous for girls, says matter-of-factly: “Thank god I made it back from a drug addiction.” She continues: “Prevention is something you can’t measure. Prevention takes place when it’s supposed to.”

 

Campbell applauds the tireless support of those who know the MBL, while making clear its needs, admitting, “If not for [3rd District Congressman] Bobby Scott and [Richmond Police] Chief [Rodney] Monroe, we would have had to close our doors.” To help kids in whom she recognizes herself a lifetime of learning ago, Campbell says, “I guard this program with my life.”

 

The MBL comprises three programs, for youth, young adults and adults. Their approach features inventive direct and referral programs addressing education; the MBL requires potential players who have not earned a high school diploma to enroll and complete GED classes. The MBL, with help from the Gwathmey Foundation, pays all costs, including books, calculators, tests, registration fees and tutors. As word of their success travels, the MBL is seeing more affluent families approach, and they are considering asking those who can to pay $25 per season. But Campbell remains unsure of instituting that policy, saying, “I want to be of service to anyone who needs help.”

 

Jonathan Reed is 22 years old. His eyes radiate sternness, calm or good humor, according to what he sees. In April of 2004, he entered Henrico County Regional Jail East, having been sentenced for four drug convictions. Looking back, he admits, “I can’t say I got caught up with the wrong crowd, because I was making the choices.” During his incarceration, Reed’s parents, both in ministry, consistently visited and encouraged him. While serving his 23-month sentence, he completed an associate’s degree in theology from Slidell Bible College, and served as a worship leader to other inmates. “Regardless of what I was doing, I’ve always loved kids,” he says.

 

 

When released in March of this year, Reed met Kurt Smith and became immediately involved with the MBL; currently, he’s its Program Coordinator for Youth, while studying business administration at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Without conceit, he says, “Here I am. I’m back in school. I’ve got my head on my shoulders.”

 

 

Chris McClure is 15, and an honor roll student at John Marshall High School. Across the table sits his brother Josh, 14. Asked what he likes best about workshops, Josh answers, “They teach us about history, about everything, about how life has changed over the years.” When asked what workshops he has most enjoyed, Josh quickly zeroes in on one led by contract employee Jack Sharp, who also works as a juvenile correctional officer. The Richmond resident created an interactive exercise he called, “Who Are We?” in which players were asked to imagine possibilities for their identities and lives. The Jackson Ward teen says, “He taught us self-discipline and respect.” Thirteen-year-old Jerode Greene adds, “To not be selfish with the ball. I’m not selfish.”

 

The MBL takes eight field trips annually. For a lot of these kids, MBL trips are their only experience with travel. Next year, the youth will head to Gary, Indiana, while the young adults will travel to Dallas.

 

 

Robert Morris, program director for young adults, works daily to address the needs participants. Campbell says of Morris, “The passion is there. He does everything.” She trails off, thinking, then gives an example of his dedication: “He doesn’t mind picking up uniforms. He doesn’t mind doing tedious work.”

 

 

Anyone is welcome to attend MBL workshops. With offerings in financial literacy, peer mediation, résumé writing, job skills, parenting, anger management and more, the MBL is prepared to serve anyone who shows up.

 

 

Perhaps it is this combination that brings individuals like Cornelius Thomas to commit to filling numerous roles while working for MBL. Thomas, a 23-year-old native of Queens, N.Y., recently graduated with an MBA from Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University. He knows he could garner a substantial salary at any number of firms, but Thomas recently accepted a full-time position with MBL because, he says, “I love basketball. I love the players. I want to help them play the right way. [This] program has a great concept in terms of the workshops in life skills development. I want to put my hands on the business side of things. [MBL] has a lot of needs that I can fulfill.”

 

 

Unfortunately, there are no existing MBL programs for girls, but Campbell says the organization is developing them. O’Kelly Lilly, 27-year-old guard/forward with MBL’s All Star Team and father of two girls, admits, “I feel [girl's programs] should have been pushed some time ago. But in my opinion, there are fewer girls who want to play after high school. I know a couple of young ladies in Richmond who are looking for leagues to join.”

 

 

Campbell emphasizes that girls are allowed to participate in boys games in the youth program, if they wish to, provided they complete the workshops; two chose to do so this past season. Lilly takes his 6-year-old and works with her on the courts, saying, “We go to courts and work on her form.” He expects that, before his 2-year-old is ready to take to the court, the MBL will have a program just for girls. He nods and says, “It will benefit them,” explaining why: “It’s our own personal professional league without superstars. It’s a team ball concept…MBL participants] play more from their heart because they love the game, not to please a crowd.”

 

When I ask the youth to what careers they aspire, Josh answers the military, while Chris is still deciding between medicine and welding. Others look hopefully to careers in the National Basketball Association. In the lobby hangs a colorful and heroic depiction of Michael Jordan. While it’s no mystery why anyone would admire Jordan for his immense talent and his impact on the game and on American culture, his gift is undeniably rare. Few children in low-income neighborhoods – indeed, any neighborhood on earth – will ever attain Jordan’s level of skill or fame. When confronted with the likely reality that they won’t reach the status of Jordan, or Charles Barkley, or of the men whose names many of them mentioned with reverence, will disillusionment turn these young men from the positive path they’ve chosen?

 

I put the question to volunteer and Chesterfield resident Frank Winkler, 47. Winkler does not have children, but he is the All Star Coach of the team that is practicing for an upcoming tournament at Maxie Robinson Gymnasium. He answers my query with assurance: “We have skills training, in things like employment preparation. Workshop skills are first. Basketball is second.” Winkler, who has coached adults ages 18 to 28 for nearly two years, continues, “You build a bond with all of them. You see these guys set goals for themselves. They go out and get college scholarships.”

 

One alumnus of the MBL, Edward Riley, 24, will graduate from Christopher Newport University, in Newport News next year with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. When Jonathon Reed mentions the starting forward from Richmond, he grows so excited he pulls out his cell phone and dials the student on the spot. Riley is in class, so we don’t get to speak. Reed is disappointed but says, “I look up to these guys so much.” I see similar devotion when the teens listen, talk and good-naturedly verbally spar later with Reed.

 

Grayland Brooks, 25, and an electrician for C.R. Phillips Electrical in Richmond, shares such affection. Brooks found the MBL almost four years ago and is still involved. He has three children today; he and his wife, Nicole, have already enrolled 10-year-old Corey in the MBL, with plans to enroll the others when they are old enough.

 

Adults, like the youth and young adults, must complete workshops and maintain the behavioral standards made clear by the MBL. Brooks says of his favorite workshop, “The main one we had this year was about being better fathers. Everyone had a lot of information to give and receive.” Speaking of his son, Corey, Brooks says, “I’m trying to get him involved in it as much as possible.” While his own home and marriage provide nurturing for his family, Brooks knows that the MBL is integral to the city of Richmond: “It keeps some people off the street. Most guys like basketball.” For those people with little money or opportunity, Brooks says, “There’s not too much to do. In the wintertime, there’s a bigger crowd, because there”s not much you can do, so it’s good.” He says, “They might at first not want to do workshops.” He stops and shakes his head: “But if you don’t workshop, you can’t play.”

This adherence to discipline is reiterated throughout every aspect of the MBL. Reed quips, “No workshop, no jumpshot.” Campbell explains, “The ones we were told would give us the most problems attended 85 percent of the workshops. In 11 years we’ve had one altercation.” The scuffle resulted in suspension of its contestants. “The concern was that they wouldn’t come back,” Campbell admits. “They not only came back, they fought their way to the championship.”

 

 

Challenges exist, and Janet makes them clear. The MBL employs two full-time paid staff members and fewer than 15 contract employees. Campbell says she knows how and when not to cut corners. In the kitchen cupboard are only two bags of noodle soup. But pamphlets on HIV prevention, domestic responsibility and violence line the walls. I see two Bibles available on my short walk from the office to the kitchen, and one at the gymnasium that evening.

 

More funding should match MBL’s commitment. The City of Richmond pays for the Police Department to provide security at events. Chief Monroe and Congressman Scott both attend MBL events. But even with this kind of support, Campbell urges, “We need more parent involvement, more community involvement.”

On That Note

 

The Richmond Midnight Basketball League strives to use organized recreational activities as a tool to create positive social change that leads Richmond’s under served youth and young adults to responsible citizenship. Contact them at:

Phone: (804) 782-0700.

Web site: www.richmondmbl.org

E-mail: info@richmondmbl.org

Address: Richmond Midnight Basketball League

208 E. Clay St., Suite 307

Richmond, VA 23219

“Cuts for Care” is a program currently in MBL development which seeks to bring MBL participants to hair styling professionals for a couple hours of treatments that lead to feeling good! Hair professionals are asked to donate their time and expertise to make a difference in someone’s mirror.

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting Children Where They Are: International Adoption in Richmond
from City Edition, August 18, 2006
by Cesca Janece Waterfield

 

Eight-year-old Mae-Linh Bennett shares her first name with her great grandmother, a Connecticut native who moved to Virginia as a young bride in the 1930s. Bestowing children with names of loved ones is not unusual.

 

But this little girl traveled 9,000 miles from the Vung Tao region of Vietnam, an area 65 miles southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, to come home with the family who loved her great grandmother. At the time of the trip, Mae-Linh was only 9 months old. The infant couldn’t have anticipated the world that waited, or how fiercely her new parents, Mimi and George, had wished and worked to bring her home. Today more than 200,000 foreign-adopted children live in the U.S., while the number of international adoptions that take place annually tops 20,000, and continues to rise. Although nearly three-fourths of children adopted by Americans come from five countries, Americans find children in about 160 nations, and nearly 90 percent of all children adopted internationally are younger than 5. Adoption is a trend that has grown since its inception shortly after World War II, when an influx of children orphaned by war needed homes. According to the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, poverty and social unrest largely determine the worldwide abundance of children seeking homes. Chinese government policy on the number of children a family may raise continues to encourage abandonment of newborn girls.

 

 

Some parents compare the journey of adoption, which is often a frustrating and arduous process that can stretch out over years, as being as wrenching an experience as childbirth. After talking to families of varied backgrounds who were differently motivated toward adoption, the analogy seems fair. The joy of finally holding their new daughter or son sends a shower of endorphins not unlike that which a birth mother experiences to lull the memory of the physically stressful passage. While these profiles represent the many optimistic interviews about international adoption, there were other families who declined, because revisiting their particular experiences they felt would reopen emotional wounds. While the journey is never effortless, those families who ultimately bring home their child, say they would do it all again.

 

 

Married for 16 years, the Bennetts, who live in Chesterfield County, began exploring adoption in 1995 after Mimi underwent years of unsuccessful in vitro fertilization treatments. The couple began poring through adoption magazines and approached social services to adopt domestically. George says, “All the children are wonderful. You want to adopt them all.” Making choices that will not only change the lives of parents but also children, however, he admits, “You become very dispassionate when you’re making these decisions. We considered our ages and financial situation.” According to the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse in Washington D.C., there are far fewer Caucasian babies available for domestic adoption than there are families seeking to adopt, and they are available largely through private agencies and independent procedures. However, there are more children of color, children with special needs and older children available through public as well as private agencies. When the Bennetts discussed whether they could care for a child with special needs, who might require expensive ongoing treatments and considerations, George says, “We had to make sure we could handle the situation.” A fair appraisal of their working middle class status ruled out, for them, a special needs child. They were eager to adopt a healthy child, regardless of race. Mimi looks back and says, “I just knew I wanted to be a mother.”

 

 

Multi racial adoptions have long been controversial. For many years, private agencies were the only way around official and unendorsed obstacles based on race. Until recent legislation, most states set forth policies that advanced the placement of children with parents of the same race. In 1996, a federal social security act passed prohibiting state agencies from prolonging adoption wait time if done so to seek an adoptive family of the same race. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a little more than one fourth of the 500,000 children who are currently in foster care are eligible for adoption by an adult who is not genetically related.

 

 

Richmond Social Services Adoption Policy adheres to the aforementioned federal act. One social services employee of the Commonwealth who asked to speak anonymously, says, “As far as I know, if the agency feels it’s a good fit, it’s completed.” Regarding race in adoption procedures, she says, “They review and look at what’s the best placement for the child.”

 

 

But the Bennetts claim that Social Services would not place an African-American baby with them, and they consequently feared that their wait to begin a family might be years. While the Bennetts are the only family who will go on record as saying so, other Richmond families maintain that they encountered similar obstacles based on race, and a tendency of public agencies assisting with domestic adoptions, “to place like with like,” George says. Such obstacles result in bureaucratic delays, they claim, and often send families in search of alternatives to domestic adoption.

 

 

The Bennetts eventually approached an agency that offered international adoption. Its representatives encouraged them to consider Vietnam, whose adoption market had recently broadly opened. After months undergoing background checks and completing voluminous paperwork, the agency accompanied several excited families to Vietnam, to meet their children. At that time, Vietnam had fewer restrictions on adoption than China and Europe, and its adoption market was roiling. Beleaguered by their own inexperience in a complex and untested system, the agency literally abandoned the group, including the Bennetts, in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

 

Back home, they did not give up but found a reputable agency. It would be four more years, return flights to Vietnam, and the Bennetts will tell you, a miracle in the form of a Vietnamese man with American citizenship who eased the process, but the couple at last brought home Mae-Linh in 1998.

 

 

After such a harrowing and protracted ordeal, one might think this family of three would sit tight. But George begins, “When you get that fax from the country and you see the child they’ve picked for you … At that point it becomes concrete. That’s your daughter.” Two years later, they reached out again, and brought home Lien, now age 6. This second experience was far smoother.

 

 

Admittedly, the climate in which the Bennetts adopted was very different from today’s. The flip side of lowered restrictions on adoption is that vigilant care must be taken to ensure that children are not exploited. When evidence began to surface that some Vietnamese children being presented for adoption had been stolen, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service evaluated the nation’s system of adoption. As a result of concern by Vietnam and the U.S., Vietnam revised its regulations in 2003 and again in 2005. Today only a few U.S. adoptions are approved by Vietnam. Individuals and couples seeking to adopt from any nation must submit to and pass a rigorous series of state police interviews, an FBI background check, fingerprinting and much more.

 

 

Lisa Van Ryper and David Masucci, who married in 1995, keep a 2-inch-thick folder documenting the extensive background, financial and psychological assessments they had to pass on their road to adoption. Before the Glen Allen couple wed, they knew they wanted children and had no health issues preventing them from conceiving their own. But when they read an article about the number of girls regularly abandoned in China, David says, “At that point we realized it had to be China, nowhere else.” They began research and took early steps in the adoption process. It was then that Lisa learned that her employer, Carmax, offers generous reimbursements and flexible leave of absences to families who choose to adopt. Though it was not their motivation, David admits, “It was an added bonus.”

 

 

Today, China’s children comprise more than 25 percent of those adopted by Americans, and most of them are girls. China’s dominance in the adoption market translates into this fact: Globally, nearly 65 percent of children adopted are female. Though Lisa says they pursued adoption from China to address “the plight of girls,” the memory of legal tussles for Baby M in 1987, and the emotional fall-out that ensued, confirmed for her the decision to adopt internationally. As if to emphasize her decision, she had two close friends who had recently endured lengthy court battles to keep children they had legally adopted domestically after biological parents emerged to contest their rights.

 

 

Fear of possible legal battles after adopting domestically is something parents repeatedly mention. It is neither a self-interested concern nor always a wish to entirely exclude biological parents, but an admission of emotional vulnerability and a desire to protect their child from unnecessary and confusing havoc. Lisa admits that as she watched the Baby M court battle years ago, “I remember thinking, ‘I could never go through that.’ ” The Van Ryper-Masucci family confesses to finding the seemingly endless paperwork, “frustrating.” But they recognize that it guards against the possibility of exploitation. “They’re very thorough with the requirements,” Lisa says of Chinese authorities. But the ensuing wait to meet and bring home her daughter, she says, was “the worst.” When word came that they’d been matched with a child, David says, “We were bouncing off the walls.” They traveled to the Guangdong Province, 200 miles east of Hong Kong, and received Lily Fay May 9, 2006, two years and two months from the time they submitted their initial application. Like Mae-Linh Bennett, who is named after a great grandmother, Lily Fay shares a name with her great aunt. When people point to Lily Fay’s fortune at having been adopted by Van Ryper and Masucci, David declares without reservation, “It’s the other way around.” Kathryn and Matt Wiley agree that the current judicial system places obstacles before people who pursue domestic adoption, but Kathryn says, “For us, it wasn’t about the process. It was to love a child, that’s it.” Kathryn knew she was able to give birth, but the couple had always seen adoption as “a viable option in starting a family. We always wanted to adopt. When we first got married, we talked about it.” Like many adoptive parents, Kathryn says she strives to instill in Abel, who they traveled to Khazakhstan to adopt in 2003 [CONFIRM YEAR] “all the love and admiration for his biological mother.” She admits, however, that legal wrangling that sometimes ensues in domestic adoptions “is not healthy for the child.” Families adopting from Kazakhstan will wait on average of two to three months before traveling to the country to meet and bring home their child. As with all international adoptions, they will have to spend a few weeks in the country. On average, Khazakhstan adoption visits take three to five weeks. The Wileys were in the country for a month, and the process from application to the day they met Abel in a Khazakhstand orphanage, was nine months. The day they signed paperwork completing the adoption, Kathryn learned she was pregnant. It’s difficult to imagine the hectic lifestyle the young couple balanced with two toddlers, but Kathryn waves away friendly condolences, saying, “Abel has taught us so much. People so often say, ‘He’s so lucky.’ I respond, ‘We are so blessed.’ ” Kathryn says having two children so close in age has been entirely positive: “It’s been perfect like this, because they have each other.” Upstairs in their Church Hill home, the boys resist naps, and their chatter tumbles down the steps, revealing children who are socializing without undue difficulty. George Bennett says that Mae-Linh and Lien are not genetic sisters, “as far as we know,” but the pair shows many signs of healthy socialization. Those who harbor reservations about adoption often voice concern about the risk of genetically based psychological or medical conditions about which parents might be unaware. Kathryn understands this hesitance as, “fear of the unknown. There simply is no difference between my adopted son and my biological son. Certainly I can say Siras walks like his father. That’s genetic. But I have to get to know him as much as I do Abel. You have to meet each child where they are.” She continues, “And I am not as arrogant to believe my genes are any ‘safer’ than that of a child I adopt.” Lisa Van Ryper agrees, “People shouldn’t be afraid to do it,” and says from experience, “When you decide to adopt, you discover a whole network of support.” Asked whether they intend to encourage Lily Fay to learn about Chinese and Cantonese culture, Lisa and David answer with simultaneous enthusiasm: “Without a doubt.” Their plans include enrolling her in a playgroup organized by Richmond families who have adopted children from China. While they are eager for Lily Fay to explore her Chinese background, Lisa makes clear, “It really is up to her. We’re going to have her do it until she says stop.” The Wileys also place strong value upon the cultural significance of Abel’s adoption. Kathryn says, “I’m happy that our family has Russian in it.” And when helping a child adjust, she insists, “It’s important to instill positive thoughts about that country.” She remains protective of her children against unconstructive attitudes. She and Matt praise their Church Hill community but have witnessed negative reactions toward other multi-ethnic families in other areas of the city and nation. In the event a multi-ethnic family elicits stares, “I’m an adult. I can get over my feelings,” she says. “But I don’t want anything to be traumatic for the child. You want to make sure your child has a very strong identity. That’s tough if you’re out and you have people staring at you.” George says that the Bennetts have encountered “the total antithesis of xenophobia. People stop us and talk to us because they have questions.” Lisa and David admit that they sometimes feel like “ambassadors for adoption,” because of the curious and supportive strangers who approach them. They agree that they’ve met “no stigma” based on ethnicity. Meanwhile, Van Ryper and Masucci look forward to giving birth in the coming few years. Lisa adds, “And we’re going to look at adopting a second girl. Because this has just been incredible.” The Wileys also plan to return to Khazakhstan next year to bring home a sibling for Abel and Siras. For thousands of people annually, the drive to build a family and nurture children eclipses bureaucratic roadblocks, frustrating waits and daunting expenses. George says as they prepared to fly to Los Angeles to board another flight to Ho Chi Minh City, he and Mimi met eyes as he said, “We’re either going to get our child, or get stopped at the airport. Anything else is an anecdote to tell at parties.” When traveling the road to adoption, domestic or international, he says, “Remember what you’re working for as these things are being thrown at you.” He looks over at Mae-Linh, who sits coloring with her sister, Lien, and recommends, “The important thing is to keep your eyes on the result.”

 

 

Get Involved

 

Even those who cannot adopt, can help. Endorsed by the Better Business Bureau, Children’s Resources International (CRI) of Richmond works to provide orphanages with the various items and services necessary to meet needs of their children awaiting adoption. This includes food, medical care, clothing and educational supplies, budgets for teachers and facility maintenance. Monetary Donations: Donors may specify to what use their donation be put, or allow staff to determine the area of need. CRI can arrange an automatic monthly bank withdrawal.

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing the City’s Divide
from City Edition, January, 2006
by Cesca Janece Waterfield

 

 

 

Every other Thursday at 4 p.m., as she’s done for many of the past eight years, Kathy Pryor meets Marquita Cousins at the teenager’s school in Richmond. They talk about classes and Marquita’s family, and have dinner at a family restaurant in the Fan. Kathy and Marquita originally met for academic tutoring when the girl was a first-grader at Fox Elementary. Marquita is now in her first year at Franklin Military School, the only publicly funded military school in the nation, and she and Kathy look forward to these evenings of food and conversation. Over sandwiches and sodas, Marquita says, “There’s not so much tutoring now. We mostly hang out.” She pauses to spear a french fry in ketchup. “Kathy is someone I can talk to and feel comfortable around.”

 

 

As January marks National and Virginia Mentoring Month, events like last week’s Fourth Annual Virginia Mentoring Awards give educators and volunteers like Kathy a rare opportunity to celebrate and honor their exemplary peers over lunch and applause, rich dessert and ovations. For the rest of the year, however, one of Richmond’s nonprofit organizations resolutely dedicates itself to all aspects of effective mentoring. In the process, they have quietly established themselves as a national leader in training and education, promotion and evaluation of mentoring programs. Virginia Mentoring Partnership (VMP), part of the National Mentoring Partnership, MENTOR, defines a mentor as “an adult who, along with parents, provides young people with support and counseling.” Jennifer Smith-Slabaugh, executive director of VMP, says plainly, “A mentor is a caring, consistent adult who encourages a child to explore what her life can be.”

 

 

The benefits of a mentor to a child are immediate as well as far-reaching, and they address not only academic needs, but also social ones. Studies indicate that mentoring improves kids’ self-esteem and academic skills, keeps them in school, and brings about a host of other advantages that significantly bolster their chances for rewarding lives, now and in their futures. Consider these numbers: According to a study by the nonpartisan research organization Child Trends, after one year of mentoring, kids were almost half as likely to experiment with illegal drugs as their peers who were not mentored, and half as likely to skip school. They were significantly more trusting of parents and guardians and less likely to lie to those in their lives. In 2002, Time Warner and AOL concluded from a national survey that over 17 million youth could benefit from mentoring. While the advantages to mentored youth almost defy easy quantitative measurement, research shows that mentors neither require powerful careers nor need to spend money, just time. In short, the relationships provided by good mentoring help young people of all ages.

 

 

While any child benefits from the relationship provided by a mentor, those who meet criteria for “disadvantaged” respond particularly favorably. With that in mind, the need for effective mentoring in Richmond is apparent. While the state average of population living below the federal poverty level is just under 10 percent, in Richmond 21.4 percent of the population subsists there. Across the commonwealth, 33 percent of students in public schools meet the qualifications to receive reduced-cost or free lunch, while in Richmond, that number is 72 percent. Additionally, 60 percent of all children born in Richmond are born to single-parent households.

 

 

With statistics this serious, the call for effective mentoring throughout Richmond seems poised to remain an urgent one. But there are many organizations in the city whose efforts seek to meet the need. VMP developed the first mentor-training program of its kind in the nation, a standard curriculum that allows for tailored approaches to each situation and that addresses each step in the mentoring process, from development and training, to management, operations, and evaluation. Since 2002, they have trained more than 1,200 mentors and tutors. These volunteers came mostly from nonprofit groups, followed by faith-based groups, government agencies and college organizations that are strongly and equally represented in the mentoring effort. There is also important corporate involvement.

 

 

One organization with whom VMP worked from its inception currently stands at the forefront of mentoring programs in the state, some say in the nation. The Micah Initiative, a faith-based organization associated with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, was one of the first mentoring groups of its kind in Virginia. Micah began in 1999 by pronouncing its goal of “changing the world” and for several years, they have worked to achieve a program as successful as theirs is.

 

 

It seems appropriate, then, that children hold as important a role in Micah’s history as they do in its daily work. Buford Scott, chairman of Micah’s Board of Directors, says that before 1999, St. Paul’s Vestry had long been donating money from its endowment fund to various educational and mentoring causes. But at the end of the day, they felt they had little sense of the efficacy of their efforts, a nd so they decided to focus on a singular project. Hours of planning and discussion finally yielded a clear view of what they wished to achieve. Ultimately, however, it was a pen pal project between their young parishioners and a second-grade class at Woodville Elementary School that illumined the pathway for a focused mentoring relationship, known today as the Micah Initiative. Through the Initiative, St. Paul’s Episcopal, a traditionally white church at 815 E. Grace Str., pairs with Good Shepherd Baptist Church, a traditionally black church located at 1127 N. 28th St., and their corporate partner, Overnite Transportation Company. They in turn join forces with the children, parents and staff of Woodville. The partnership has been a successful one in many ways.

 

 

Scott says, “Everybody these days wants everything measured. Some important aspects of a mentoring program are difficult to measure. However, there is one measure of mentoring programs — and teachers, parents and students take most of the credit – but when we began with Woodville, SOL scores were in the thirties. They are now consistently in the eighties and nineties.”

 

 

To create this kind of progress depends on volunteers. Each week, more than 100 volunteers enter Woodville. Those who can consistently volunteer time partner with children, working as a math or reading buddy. Other volunteers assist teachers in the classroom. Those who wish to help but cannot offer consistent blocks of time often prefer Classroom Adoption. By connecting with the teacher, they determine what is needed – sponsorship of a holiday party, companion on a trip or a classroom activity. Not a lot of money is involved. Yet the benefits are clear. Getting this many volunteers trained, coordinating their visits, and in many cases, tracking their progress relies upon many members and organizations in the community. The development of programs can be daunting for organizations and faith communities entering the process. Enter the Micah City Wide Association. The group travels to assist other organizations and churches who wish to emulate Micah’s success in their own mentoring programs. They often provide lectures or a film, their experience smoothing the way for burgeoning programs. From their outreach have risen 35 other faith-based mentoring programs that are matched with 23 schools. A less obvious, yet equally important, effect of their work is communication between seemingly disparate groups. Micah City Wide currently comprises 35 faith communities, including a Muslim group, the Jewish Coalition, a Hindu group and 22 elementary schools.

 

 

Such unique partnerships allow a larger network of resources, of which people are paramount. But with this many collaborators, logistical planning can be an obstacle to successful programs. Shared commitment to the children usually allows such planning and scheduling difficulties to be overcome. But when a position exists in which one person commits to ironing out scheduling wrinkles, programs can run even more smoothly and be more effective. Micah Initiative supports that position and fills it well with Phyllis Moyer, on-site coordinator for Woodville. Moyer facilitates the countless details and loosens scheduling snares that a project that aims to change lives inevitably confronts. Rosalyn Taylor, who is in her third year as principal of Woodville Elementary, admits, “[The mentoring program is] a lot of management in terms of scheduling. It takes a chunk of time. That’s what Phyllis does. The administration’s time should be invested in student achievement, so having Phyllis in place helps all of us focus attention to each child’s needs.”

 

 

Having been working with her mentee for eight years now, Kathy Pryor has seen the difference in her meetings with Marquita when a school had mentor mindset and structures in place. During the course of their relationship, Marquita attended a school to which mentorship was new. In this school that was open to, but unprepared for, certain logistical concerns, Marquita frequently had to be pulled from class for their meetings, and Pryor worried the situation might uncomfortably single out the young girl. But for most of their relationship, they’ve been lucky. Kathy’s eyes crinkle in a smile. “When she graduated from Fox and Binford, that was fun. And to have that relationship with her family. She’s a neat kid, and it’s just fun to see her grow up.”

 

 

Yet, as today’s mentees grow, commitment to their futures and those of tomorrow’s achievers demands vigilant attention to public policy. A recent and exciting development at VMP is the introduction of Virginia Mentoring Partnership Network (VMAN), a grass-roots advocacy network made possible by a grant from their national charter, MENTOR. With VMAN, the Partnership looks forward to what the 100-plus member network can achieve. At its inception in early 2005, VMAN set as its concentrated focus low-cost and efficient background checks for volunteers, an issue important to the safety of children and the efficacy of programs. Though Richmond Public Schools have no official policy regarding background checks, administrators are keenly aware of its importance. Woodville submits volunteers to moderate criminal background checks. Principal Rosalyn Taylor of Woodville Elementary admits, “We have over 100 mentors. We have to keep track of each person entering. Absolutely.”

 

 

Another VMAN goal looks to future growth of mentoring: to encourage legislative support from the Virginia General Assembly. VMAN intends to be present when legislators vote on any aspect of the mentoring field and to act on behalf of its mentoring partners. In so doing, they aim to develop a public policy agenda that serves the children, volunteers, and programs of the commonwealth. Though an individual mentor need commit only an hour a week to bring about changes in a child’s life, it’s clear that daily operation and expansion of programs will continue to require the tireless effort of many. The rewards of such efforts touch not only children, but also ultimately reach far into the community, where the common goal of children’s welfare cultivates relationships that might not have otherwise been given opportunity to begin. Still, mentors often rush to declare that it is they who feel most rewarded. Antonio Riley met his Micah mentor, Al Lacy, just after the boy lost his mother, at age 5. Al worked with Antonio on his reading and they continue with weekly tutoring. They also frequently share activities outdoors, shoot hoops and occasionally visit McDonalds. When the boy recently lost his brother in an accident, Al and Antonio’s family were important in helping the child cope with his grief. But when talking about Antonio, Lacy grins unabashedly and insists, “I get a lot more out of it than he does. You feel that your work is worthwhile and the kids work very hard. You get a lot of affection.”

 

 

Kathy Pryor finds tremendous reward in the long-term relationship she and Marquita have. “I’m watching her grow. That’s satisfying in and of itself. Mentoring is a valuable way to be there for kids. I believe in it.”

 

 

But as valuable a part of the program as the relationships that build between mentor and child are those that form among the community. In the process of ensuring that these programs are available and effective, alliances develop. Lacy states, “We’re all sitting on the board. Pretty soon, you’ve got friends.”

 

 

Principal Taylor echoes Lacy’s statement: “[Mentoring at Woodville] started with a few Micah tutors coming into the building and it gained momentum. They are now partners with our PTA, they became members of our citizen’s advisory group, and they have representatives on our school planning management team.”

 

 

“What we’re doing is building relationships. We are coming together from diverse backgrounds. We are crossing over the racial divide of our city with the common mission of our children.”

 

 

With programs so integral to children and the city, the community must commit itself to their success. The primary obstacle remains getting volunteers. Lacy admits, “When you go to pick up your child, generally there are two or three other kids who want to come with you. It’s hard. The kids are enthusiastic about you showing up to spend some time with them.” Principal Taylor urges, “If you want to do something to help children, be a mentor. Woodville has a student body of 460 students. Only 80 or 90 are being mentored. We need increased numbers of mentors. It would be wonderful if we could provide a mentor to every child.”

 

 

On that Note

Give

Virginia Mentoring Partnership
PO Box 84306
Richmond, VA 23284-3066
828-1536

 

 

Micah Initiative
815 E. Grace St.
Richmond Virginia 23219
643-3589

 

 

Communities in Schools
Donate online at: http://www.cisnet.org/support/donate.asp

 

Or by mail:

 

 

Communities in Schools National
277 S. Washington St., Suite 210
Alexandria, VA 22314

 

 

Get Involved

 

 

Virginia Mentoring Partnership
Jennifer Smith-Slabaugh, 828-1536

Micah Initiative
Phyllis Moyer, pmoyer@richmond.k12.va.us, 780-4009
Betsy Carr, micah@cavtel.net, 643-3589

 

 

Communities in Schools of Chesterfield
10107 Krause Road
Chesterfield, VA 23832
martha_frickert@ccpsnet.net, 717-9305

 

 

Learn

 

 

VMP Resource Library – VMP’s 10 E. Franklin St. offices maintain a library which features more than 250 books and articles that include current research. VMP welcomes phone calls from individuals and organizations.

 

 

http://www.mentoring.org/

 

 

http://www.cisnet.org

 

 

Sidebar

 

Services of VMP

 

Training Mentors – Since 1995 VMP has developed and provided customized training for more than 6,100 mentors and tutor volunteers. They tailor their curriculum to the specific needs and goals of each organization.

 

 

Support in Best Practices – VMP strives to increase the number of mentors working with children and also to improve the effectiveness of mentoring. Even after initial customized training, the Partnership works with mentors to provide ongoing orientation and evaluation and continuing support. From the design and planning, to program management, operations, and evaluation, they will lead and coach each step of the process.

 

 

 

 

Promoting Mentoring – In January 2003, the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution making January Virginia Mentoring Month, partly thanks to the efforts of VMP. VMP continues to work to increase public awareness of mentoring statewide.

 

Education and Research – VMP provides training and technical assistance to burgeoning programs and those already in place.

 

The State of Mentoring Now

 

 

In many ways, Virginia and its mentors are national leaders in improving the lives and education of children. Schools, teachers, parents and students in the region, as well as the Micah Initiative and VMP can take credit for tremendous strides. Still, there is unmet need. At Woodville Elementary alone, there are 25 students between the ages of 4 and 10 awaiting mentors. When you’re ready to volunteer, there are schools throughout the region that can help you determine your best fit. Some mentors who’ve developed rewarding relationships with mentees hardly pictured themselves in the role when they began. A time commitment is all that’s needed to be successful and impact a child’s life.

 

 

To become a mentor:

 

Call an area school where you can commit time. Also, VMP takes calls from individuals as well as organizations and will help clarify your best fit, by guiding you step-by-step.

 

What to consider when you volunteer:

 

VMP suggests that you consider the following when you plan to mentor:

 

1. How much time do you have available?

 

 

2. When is that time?

 

 

3. Where are you located geographically?

 

 

 

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Finding Solutions in the Pines
from City Edition, July 31, 2006
by Cesca Janece Waterfield

 

 

Yoked by Old Brook Road and Azalea Avenue in Northside are forty acres of woodland as boundless as imagination, and perhaps as integral to Richmond as air.

 

 

Since fall of 2000, Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center has opened its doors so that Richmond residents can open their eyes and draw, paint, print, dance, and snap shots of what they see. Partially funded by Richmond Recreation and Parks Foundation, this building exceeds 22,000 square feet and features three multi-purpose rooms for creative and community use, three dance studios, a theatre, art studio, and photography lab. But the success stories Pine Camp creates take up space, and that means funding.

 

 

Change has always been afoot these woods. Sleeping heavily along the left of the gently serpentine road leading to Pine Camp, is a former tuberculosis hospital. Today, it sits unused, and would require extensive restoration. The city took possession of it in 1957. It was declared an historic landmark in 2003 and was already functioning as an arts center, offering several classes in fine art. That didn’t stop one Richmond resident from envisioning more. Earle Taylor, who says, “I don’t believe in ‘can’t’,” began to act on his vision in 1977. Taylor is “The Photographer,” his voicemail will tell you. If you’re calling Taylor, you will become well acquainted with his voicemail, because this man approaching eighty is very busy. Nearly twenty years ago, the longtime owner of “The Last Stop,” a Shockoe Bottom gallery, decided the building’s fate and the city’s need: a comprehensive arts and craft center. Pottery artist Marfe Cooper joined him in 1992 and the two began regularly approaching city hall asking for a new building. As Darlene Marschak, Art Program Specialist for Richmond Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, worked within the city to ensure comprehensive arts instruction in Richmond, Taylor and Cooper moved forward, talking to city council, pushing for a new structure to house Pine Camp’s goals.

 

 

But while they appealed for a new building, the pair got to work in the old one. Taylor set up a darkroom in the restroom of the former hospital, while Cooper set up a pottery studio in the morgue. As the number of students grew, they continued to petition for a new facility. It only took twenty years of perseverance, but anyone who’s met Taylor sees the politician percolating within the artist, and the persistence emanating from his will.

 

 

When the group was told by the city that some parts of the building were not safe to use, Taylor created a darkroom in what had been a kitchen in a cottage on the property. “It was amazing,” Marschak says. “But he’s put in a darkroom just about everywhere.”

 

 

In 1999, thanks to a community who continued to submit demands to City Hall, and a nod by State Senator Viola Baskerville, who was then in the House of Representatives, the city of Richmond approved funding for the construction of a comprehensive arts center.

 

 

The price tag for the eye popping, state of the art building was less than $2.6 million and it was constructed by Richmond’s Davis Brothers Construction, a family owned business since 1908 and one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest minority-owned contractors. Professional artists teach all classes at Pine Camp, and many are widely known. Within the programs, only six staff members are paid, with volunteers comprising the remaining faculty. Using a small army of people who come to share their time, Pine Camp allows Richmond residents to practice and perfect dance, martial arts, music, pottery, drawing, weaving, interior decorating, and more. Although aptitude need not be proven or possessed to take part in its programs, participants quite often develop it, and the quality of art produced at Pine Camp is frequently stunning. Its theatre features small monthly shows. There are numerous offerings for disabled, and people of every age and socio economic background utilize Pine Camp each month.

 

 

In addition to providing high quality arts and craft instruction as well as athletic programs, Pine Camp’s after school programs and homework assistance provide computer access and academic guidance to youth. “Our programs keep children who would otherwise be latchkey kids, occupied with constructive and creative activities,” Cooper says. “A lot of these children wouldn’t have access to supplies or computers, or to other children, really.”

 

 

Word about Pine Camp has spread, and The National Arts Program has heard. Established in 1983 to inspire and promote the artistic expression of people nationwide regardless of their level or profession, The National Arts Program is joining Pine Camp and the city of Richmond for the eighth year running, showing off three exhibits and culminating in a competition. Last week’s awards ceremony awarded more than $3250.

 

 

Bradley McNamara, age five, is one young artist who exhibited there. He says he was drawn to painting, and specifically to watercolors, before he was four. His mother, Paige, says, “He really likes to mix the colors. He wants to see what he comes up with.”

 

 

Bradley, whose head of fair hair barely reaches a tabletop, is eager to discuss his process, explaining, “I just do something. I don’t think about it.” Older brother Austin enthusiastically clarifies, “He’s an abstract artist.”

 

 

Paige, who says she has “never been an artist,” grins with a note of wonder, saying, “He’s been doing it since he could hold something. He puts the stuff in the pallet, gets his brushes, and lays them on the table. When he’s done, he cleans up.”

 

 

He cleans up.

 

 

Watching children filing through the halls of Pine Camp, it is difficult to determine which is stronger; their creative muscles, or signs of their developing social responsibility. At Pine Camp, it isn’t only about passing a few hours constructively.

 

 

The National Arts Program exhibit, which will continue through July 28 at three sites throughout the city, is an exciting event, to be sure. But it takes more than an annual gala and month long exhibit to keep Pine Camp going. A walk through the facility will find each room well organized, but tightly cramped. “We desperately need storage,” Cooper says, returning a soccer ball to its pen. Down from this recreation room and just outside the photography lab are photos taken by children as young as three. Many of the images would stun a viewer who didn’t know how young the artists are. Taylor, who directs Pine Camp’s Photography Department is an instructor. He loads and unloads the cameras for little fingers, but the subjects and framing of the shots are choices made exclusively by the children. These images reveal the world they see, and are proof that even a five year-old experiences expansive wonder, sorrow, and joy. The exuberance on their faces as they develop their own film confirms that they are elated by this chance to express some of what they feel and see.

 

 

Dr. Jean Montes knows about youth and opportunity, and what happens when the two come together. Montes, Director of Orchestral Studies at VCU, established a music program for youth. Information is available at www.vcuorchestra.org, and the site includes photographs from the first annual camp that took place this month. An auditorium at Maggie Walker Governor’s School resonates with the voices of kids in vocal training as we talk. Two students enter, a few minutes late from lunch. Stern, yet gently, Montes fixes his eyes upon the pair, and tells them that being late “is not acceptable.” The adolescent boy and girl look a bit stung, but they make an apology, and then join their peers to rehearse.

 

 

Whether or not this camp meets in coming years will depend on financial support and publicity. But the community has a long-term interest in its success. Montes says, “For children to understand the world around them, they need imagination as well as discipline.” He says that artistic expression builds both.

 

 

Studies repeatedly show that involvement in art, at any stage of life, inspires personal and social development. There is a secret some people with legislative checkbooks often seem unaware: children want both.

 

 

Montes says that he and his team expected “maybe twenty” kids across the state to apply to the program, in its first year. In the room behind us, ninety-six voices are in training. The group represents many ethnicities, backgrounds, and opinions. But as they focus and giggle throughout the workshop led by a professional orchestral musician, they are building both discipline and important social bonds.

 

 

Collaboration among diverse groups usually yields good news. In addition to fine arts, Pine Camp features an extensive dance program for all ages, beginning at age two, with offerings for people of any age who still want to get moving. For seniors, tai chi, yoga and aerobics, as well as line dancing make up part of the dance curriculum. The dancing and discipline culminate in an annual City Dance Recital at the Landmark Theatre in the spring.

 

 

Continually seeking ways to inspire teamwork between departments, Pine Camp once again presents, “Cultural Arts Summer,” a program in which the art and dance departments work in partnership with local performers for three weeks of classes. Subjects include dance, art, drama, poetry, puppet making, percussion, and more. Students are asked to choose a concentration, but they are required to explore avenues they might not have strolled before. On August 4th, campers will show off their progress in cool new moves and cooperation.

 

 

Any newspaper headline cries for more of the latter, and art is one step in getting there. VCU graduate and water colorist Vanna Lamm, who began painting at age three, agrees. The Richmond resident says, “The thing is, art is about problem solving. You say, ‘This is what I want to achieve. Now, how do I get there?’”

 

 

There is no question that children and adolescents confront problems. Thirteen year-old Fred London has found some solutions. Ceramic art is one, and at last week’s Award Ceremony, the tall middle schooler with an optimistic smile won a ribbon from the James River Art League for his piece, “Crazy Fish.” Fred says working with his hands to make what he sees inside is one of his favorite ways to pass time. His mother, Teresa Robinson, sees the time Fred spends creating whimsical and solemn pieces as much more than minutes spent dawdling. She notes Fred’s strong analytical skills and says they have grown since he embraced art. Teresa looks at her son, and says, “He has very strong math and science skills. He just loves to create.” She smiles as she tells me the young man still in middle school will begin a pre-engineering program for high school students this summer.

 

 

Success stories like this and so many more suggest that the potential for personal growth is limitless. Pine Camp is dedicated to providing the chance, anyway, to everyone. “No one is left behind. We have some families who have nine children,” Cooper says. “Even the twelve dollar fee per child is too much for them.”

 

 

So scholarships are granted to those who need them, in exchange for helping out in the building. Often the scholarship recipient will take part in “clean up day,” a few hours of picking up and pitching in at the facility. “It is not free. You work for it.” Cooper says. “But no child, no adult is turned away.”

But after almost six years, Pine Camp is being limited by space. The Recreation Department is outgrowing its tennis shoes and rec room. “We would love to have a gym,” Cooper admits. “And we need a second art studio.”

 

 

They look to City Hall for funding, and to the city of Richmond to remind council members and the General Assembly how important continued functioning of the facility is to all of us. The building has only one storeroom, and with so many art supplies, athletic equipment, and the stuff meant to inspire imagination, Cooper says, “We desperately need storage.” That will require expansion.

 

 

Pine Camp has some smaller, specific needs as well. Cooper, who directs and teaches within the Pottery Department knows well of one: “We have what we call the state fair of raku pits,” she says, referring to a process of firing clay in the earth. “Whenever we go to fire raku,” she quips, “it rains.” A shelter would allow them to schedule raku firings regardless of the weather.

 

 

And with its consistent offering of pregnancy prevention classes, self- improvement courses, and workshops like, “Drums No Guns,” the residents of Richmond own an interest and responsibility to ensure that the pottery wheels keep turning and the trumpets keep braying.

 

 

Notes from the music room at Pine Camp resound not just today, but into the world tomorrow. Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. We will all walk a bit sounder when those leaders have been versed in the kind of creative problem solving being sung, tapped and brush-stroked in the expanding rooms and minds at Pine Camp.

 

 

On That Note

With School for the Performing Arts in Richmond Community (SPARC), Pine Camp Presents, “Cats,” from July 27th , through its matinee performance, Sunday the 30th. The group has garnered the exclusive right statewide to perform the famous adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s poetry. Those who’ve sneaked into the rehearsals say the professionalism and quality of performances are spectacular. Information at www.SPARConline.org

 

 

Get Involved

 

 

Take a Class – Inject yourself with a new skill or fresh perspective. Pine Camps offers classes, camps, and workshops that are affordable, and scholarships are available. Their commitment to offering both short and long-term classes means you can refresh even a hectic lifestyle.

 

Write a Check – Financial Contributions to 4901 Old Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227 Call (804) 646-3677

 

 

Share your Gift – Pine Camp welcomes artistic and administrative volunteers. They currently have a need for female mentors to join their pregnancy prevention workshops. http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/parks/Pine.aspx

 

 

Have a Bash – One of the Richmond’s best-kept secrets needs to be told. The large space at Pine Camp will meet your civic and social needs, and rates are reasonable. Rent the theater, a dance or art studio, or one of their multi-purpose rooms. Pine Camp is easily accessible by all major interstates. Contact Facility Manager Annie Thornton (804) 646-3479

 

 

 

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Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future
from City Edition, April 24, 2006
by Cesca Janece Waterfield

 

 

Each day in Church Hill north of Broad, busy construction sends up new houses in days as empty lots fill. Some older houses are quickly restored, painted and hurried to the market. For several years, developers and construction companies have eyed this area, and many have entered to claim a part of the growth they’ve watched closely from outside.

The buzz is understandable. This relatively small section of Richmond boasts the largest collection of antebellum frame houses on the nation’s East Coast. While much of the area around St. John’s Church is protected by the zoning overlay that arrived with its designation in 1957 as a City and Old Historic District, other areas that are not included in that zone lay vulnerable to frenzied development, and virtually no restrictions hinder ambitious developers who set their sights on quick gain.

 

 

According to 13-year resident Laura Daab, it’s enough to make her look out at the tree-lined streets of this Southern neighborhood and feel like she’s in the midst of the Wild West. Though her description might sound hyperbolic, consider this: As long as new construction and restoration complies with basic zoning laws, virtually any style or substance of structure may be put in place here, without regard to issues such as density, parking or design, and virtually any quality of materials is acceptable.

 

 

And while there is serious concern for maintaining the historical integrity of a neighborhood as architecturally rich as Church Hill, many residents say they are most alarmed by the amount of slapdash construction taking place; “progress” that represents a combination of greed and negligence. They say the mixture threatens their community’s, and the city’s, long-term quality of life. In November 2005, a few of them decided to form a task force to meet and discuss what they might do to protect the community they call home. Led by Daab, the task force is working to see that the area is soon designated as a City and Old Historic District, known as Church Hill North. The rabid growth is new to some, while to others, similar development inspired feelings of guardianship two decades ago when an attempt at achieving city historic designation was made, ultimately succumbing to divisive political wrangling. This time, the questions the task force has raised seem to have stimulated dialogue about the unique value of Richmond’s history and architecture, about bureaucratic review and the responsibilities borne by those who claim the benefits of being part of a community.

 

 

There are currently fifteen Old and Historic Districts recognized by the city of Richmond. With the designation arrives a zoning overlay; additional checks on construction companies, developers and anyone who seeks to alter the exterior of property within the district. While admitting that she does not speak for the whole task force, Daab says, “The irony is that a lot of these outside developers come into the city from neighborhoods that have covenants in place. Then they come here and they’re not doing thoughtful work.” While she doesn’t oppose new construction and development in the area, she claims, “You’re more likely to get better quality work from renovators who live in Church Hill.”

 

 

Although much of this area falls within national register districts, achieving the City and Old Historic designation would establish the requirement that new construction, demolition that isn’t associated with safety concerns, and changes to exteriors would have to pass review by the Commission for Architectural Review (CAR), a volunteer commission appointed by City Council and established in 1957, the same year St. John’s Church District achieved its City Old and Historic designation. Many say the process would allow residents a collective voice in the fate of their neighborhoods. A few argue that dealing with CAR is a complicated and protracted process. Jean Wight knows a bit about the process of review. She was board member of CAR from 2000 to 2005 and served as chair for two years. She is currently renovating the Ann Carrington House (c.1813) in the 2300 block of East Grace Street. Wight declares, “There is tremendous [development] pressure to the north of Broad. Contactors are going deeper and north, but they have few restrictions regarding quality of exterior or the materials they use.” She recognizes that this area’s position is unique, because its surplus of empty lots creates an urgency to “throw up anything.” She hopes the task force’s efforts for historic designation succeed, and she claims that in neighborhoods protected by the overlay, “While [residents] give up certain flexibility regarding exteriors, they are given a greater degree of control over the atmosphere of the block.”

 

 

Other neighborhoods in Richmond have acknowledged the security such designations provide while grappling with its challenges. The Fan District is included in both the national and state registry of historic places. Part of it is also recognized as a City Old and Historic District, making it subject to architectural review. Bobbe Lehew, a six-year resident of the Fan, lives within that area and admits to occasional frustration when she’s sought changes to her property – improvements, she thinks, that were needlessly delayed or denied.

 

 

“There are some things, some people who are too pure in their renovations. There have been tremendous strides in making new, more modern materials that stand up to the elements and look attractive. But some people are critical of that.” Citing one example, she continues, “We want to put up a wrought iron fence. It’s my understanding that unless we can prove that the house originally had one, we can’t. Things like that are a little silly. I appreciate the guidelines that are in place. But there are some things that could be an asset to the property and the neighborhood that won’t be approved.”

 

 

Lehew’s experience reflects the fears of some homeowners who remain undecided about a City Old and Historic designation. They worry that the designation will limit their freedom to create their own homes and that their efforts will be subject to draconian restrictions. But unless the homeowner is taking advantage of state and federal tax credits that are available to people who renovate properties, only exterior changes are regulated. Interiors remain free of any review.

 

 

David Herring, Church Hill resident and co-founder and director of properties at the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN), does not deny that some concerns harbored by opponents of city recognition are reasonable. “If you want for example, new steps,” he says, “a new porch, or you want to change the paint color, you’ll have to submit an application to CAR.” Paint color is an issue that continues to raise a bit of tension in the dialogue about architectural review. Herring admits, “I honestly think CAR shouldn’t be so sensitive about paint. I’d rather save the house, have it standing.”

 

 

Preserving such buildings must be a personal value maintained by the homeowner, because when taking on some restoration projects within historic districts recognized by the city, Herring admits, “It may cost the owner more money. It might.” As an example, he offers the temptation to install vinyl replacement windows as opposed to using rarer historical materials. But he insists architectural review is about protecting the neighborhood, and is not “big brother” watching closely over the shoulders of homeowners. Instead, he insists, it provides protection against bad buildings and thoughtless design. Herring says, “When you have someone who wants to put up some shoddy structure next to a 19th-century house, it freaks people out.”

 

 

But he claims that if the task force’s efforts succeed, residents won’t confront undue obstacles in how they improve or change their property. When an area is designated by the city as historic, existing structures and color schemes are considered “grandfathered” and require no changes. Only new modifications will require approval. “And people need to keep in mind that you can repair original material,” he advises. In doing so, he says, they can save money while preserving the past. Personally and as a representative of ACORN, Herring believes in the evolution of old neighborhoods, but he maintains that it can be done while safeguarding historic resources to benefit the entire neighborhood, and ultimately, the city. ACORN offers regular workshops in all aspects of renovation.

 

 

Melinda Skinner, co-founder and development director for ACORN, has been a resident of Church Hill since 1962, and her two adult children went to schools there. She supports the task force’s efforts for historic designation by the city. She says she has witnessed ravenous and unconscionable developers entering the neighborhood, building in a hurry, and then leaving as quickly. She says, “Developers scare me. [To them] it’s not about what’s best for the city, it’s about money. They make a profit and go back to Arizona. I trust developers who live here. The closer you live to the development, the more honest you’re going to be.” Their concern does not couch an insular shutting out of outsiders, and Herring notes, “There are a lot of good developers. But there are many who get their profit, and they’re out of there.”

 

 

But while the city historical designation would serve as a guard against such unscrupulous developers, Skinner points out another obstacle in the way of achieving designation; people think their property values and taxes are going to go up. In response, she and Herring respond simultaneously, “They won’t.” Herring says that a neighborhood thrives economically, growing property values “ because of money invested, not because something is deemed historical. But [the designation] is a protection that as the area does revitalize, it’s done in a cohesive way.” In fact, the area seeking designation is currently taxed at the same rate as its neighboring – and city-protected – districts, St. John’s and Chimborazo.

 

 

Skinner says, “People who are homeowners of all races, classes, socio-economic backgrounds want this when they know how it works.” Designation would guard against unprincipled developers and contractors, she says, something that is imperative, because “When people come to make money and not a community, that’s when you get problems.” Rick Bancroft, Owner of Tulip Tree Renovations, has completed a great deal of restoration work in Richmond, including areas of the Fan governed by CAR. When asked about his experiences, he shakes his head. As a contractor who values Richmond’s history and who has made its architecture his life’s work, he’s endured his share of frustration in dealing with CAR. After sharing a couple stories about projects that seemed to linger on awaiting approval, Bancroft offers a fair-minded observation. He says that ultimately, in spite of waiting “months” to complete projects that were slowly approved, “I know these rules are in place for good reason.” He suggests, “I just wish they’d move a little faster.”

 

 

“A little faster,” is also the hope for residents seeking city historic designation for Church Hill North. Middle school teacher John Murden is an active resident of the area. He carefully watches developments in the neighborhood he’s come to embrace in the three years since he took residence there. He enjoys Church Hill as “one of the city’s most diverse communities culturally, racially and economically” and he says his neighbors welcome anyone who comes to impact the area – contractors, developers and individuals who move in to call Church Hill home. “[We] don’t care who they are. [We] want to see the blight gone.” But he adds that toward that goal, residents want “balance.” In particular, they want to know that developers share their “long-term vision.” In pushing for city historical designation, Wight voices a similar purpose and goal. “The designation is really a long-term planning mechanism.” Whether the community at large agrees remains to be seen. For now, the task force is focusing on disseminating information to residents, and they are compiling literature to answer their most pressing questions. They aim for a vote in about six months. For the overlay to pass, 70 percent of property owners must reply to the ballot. Among them, at least half must vote to approve, and then it’s up to City Council.

 

 

“People have pride in these neighborhoods and they want them to be consistent. Without that layer of protection, they won’t be. Ultimately, these things that are plopped into the neighborhood, they hurt.”

 

 

But the Church Hill North Taskforce and many residents are optimistic. Herring continues, “People are recognizing that these houses and the neighborhoods are valuable. They’re worth protecting.”

 

 

On That Note

Get Involved

Church Hill North Taskforce
Contact Laura Daab

(804) 649-1913

info@mysterydinner.com

 

 

City of Richmond Contact
Saul Gleiser, Planner, Department of Community Development
(804) 646-6313
gkeusers@ci.richmond.va.us

 

 

ACORN, the Alliance to Conserve Richmond Neighborhoods
1307-A E. Cary St. Richmond, 23219
(804) 422-2148

 

 

ACORN offers low-cost and free workshops designed to pass on tools to homeowners and anyone interested in learning how to realistically preserve the elements of historic homes and buildings. Workshops include plaster repair, window sash replacement, as well as loan education, and more.
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