[caption id="attachment_842" align="alignright" width="300"]
Pictured is Melissa Gearhart (left) foster care supervisor, with Kayla Bagley from Closet 1:27 and their donation of foster journey bags.[/caption]
VAN WERT, Ohio – Closet 1:27 is an initiative operated by Woodburn Missionary Church in Woodburn, IN. The ministry provides support and supplies for Christian adoptive and foster families. They learned of The Marsh Foundation’s need through one of our own foster families.
Closet 1:27 provides two main services for adoptive and foster families: foster journey bags and its resource closet. They recently delivered 28 journey bags to give to Marsh foster youth. The bags are filled according to gender and age and include things like pajamas, blankets, books, toiletries, a Bible and much more.
“We are thrilled that Closet 1:27 has reached out to The Marsh Foster Care Program,” said Melissa Gearhart, foster care supervisor. “Our kids often come into care with little that belongs to them and this program gives them something that they can call their own. Plus, the items in the bags are quality, useful items that are very much appreciated by our kids and our foster parents.”
According to Closet 1:27, the foster journey bags are meant to help foster children feel the love and concern of others, and introduce them to, or remind them of the love of their Heavenly Father.
The Marsh Foundation is looking forward to distributing these bags to foster children. The Marsh is currently placing children ages 0-18 in local foster homes. Families that are interested in becoming licensed as foster or adoptive homes can contact Gearhart at 419.238.1695 ext. 307.
The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, family foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster care children and community members.
###
Photo caption: Pictured is Melissa Gearhart (left) foster care supervisor, with Kayla Bagley from Closet 1:27 and their donation of foster journey bags.
VAN WERT, Ohio – In 2014, Rob and Jennifer Sniegowski decided to pursue a foster care license with The Marsh Foundation. They were interested in growing their family and giving their daughter, Abigail, a younger sibling.
After months of waiting, they were blessed two-fold with what has turned out to be a perfect match. In October of 2014, Kali and Allen were placed in their home as foster children. Excited beyond belief, the family immediately bonded and accepted the two children, then ages 4 and 3, as their own.
It was determined that the two would not be able to return to their biological home and were made available for adoption. The Sniegowskis didn’t hesitate and began preparation to adopt the children.
Two years later, on October 4, 2016, Kali and Allen, ages 6 and 5, were officially adopted by Rob and Jennifer and found their forever family.
Congratulations and best wishes to the Sniegowski family! It will certainly be a wonderful holiday season in their home this year!
Because of this story, and others like it, The Marsh Foundation has pursued the ability to license homes with a dual foster care and adoption license. This means that families that may be interested adopting their foster children in the future can simplify the process with The Marsh Foundation.
“Now, when we conduct our home studies, we have the ability to give a home two licenses; one for fostering and one for adoption,” said Melissa Gearhart, foster care supervisor. This simplifies the process, allowing The Marsh’s home study assessors to conduct adoption home studies and complete the necessary paperwork. Before, those things had to be done by an outside agency. Now, the process is simplified because The Marsh can facilitate the entire adoption process.
“This definitely allows us to provide additional support to our families,” Gearhart said. Families that think they may be interested in adoption can complete the necessary steps up front, with very little additional work. If they decide to adopt in the future, much of the process is already done. If they don’t ever decide to adopt, there is no harm in having the dual license.
Many families that are interested in becoming foster families are interested in accepting young children that may be available for adoption in the future; just as in the Sniegowski’s case. It is the hope of The Marsh Foundation that providing these dual licenses will allow them to serve more children and families.
“This is really an asset to our foster care division,” Gearhart stated. “It dramatically increases the number of children we can help to find forever families.”
The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, family foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster care children and community members.
###
Photo caption: Rob and Jennifer Sniegowski took in Kali and Allen as foster children in 2014. On October 4, 2016, the two officially became members of their family when their adoption was finalized.
VAN WERT, Ohio – Youth at The Marsh Foundation are once again selling poinsettias for the holiday season. All proceeds from the sale will go to the campus’ Marsh Grown gardening program. The plants make beautiful decorations and/or holiday gifts.
There are three sizes available. The multi-bloom plants are available in 4.5 inches for $3.50, 6.5 inches for $8 and 8.5 inches for $15. The 4.5” plant is available in red, white or pink. The 6.5” and 8.5” plants are available in red, white, pink, burgundy, marble (pink and cream) or jingle bells (red with white speckles). All proceeds will go to the Marsh Grown program for The Marsh Foundation youth. Orders must be placed before Wednesday, Nov. 16 and can be picked up on Friday, Dec. 2 from 2-4 p.m., or Saturday, Dec.3 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at The Marsh Foundation Greenhouse
To order, complete an order form found online at www.marshfoundation.org, visit The Marsh’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MarshFoundation. Or, call Sherry Grone at 419.238.1695 ext. 270 for more information.
Serving children and families since 1922, The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, family foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to a total of 30 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster children and community members.
The mission of The Marsh Foundation is to inspire hope, to teach and to care for children and families. For more information about The Marsh, visit www.marshfoundation.org.
###
VAN WERT, Ohio – The Marsh Foundation has hired Melissa Gearhart, LSW, as the agency’s new supervisor of its foster care division. Gearhart will oversee consultation, recruitment, licensing and maintenance of The Marsh’s foster care program.
Gearhart holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Defiance College and is a Licensed Social Worker. After beginning her career at The Marsh as a family teacher in the residential group home program, she went on to serve as a foster care consultant at Adriel for nearly five years.
“Over the past several years, foster care has been my passion. I love connecting kids to families as well as connecting these families to kids. I am so excited to be able to do this back in my hometown,” Gearhart said.
She said that she is looking forward to her new position. “My goal here at The Marsh Foundation is to grow our foster program to not only be able to help a wider variety of kids, but also to be able to offer our foster families a bigger network of support and services. We already have many exciting things in the works for the foster program and I can’t wait to see them take shape,” Gearhart added.
Originally from the Van Wert area, Gearhart is a Lincolnview High School graduate. She enjoys spending her time away from work with her two-year-old daughter, Elliot.
The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, family foster care for children 0-18, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster care children and community members.
The mission of The Marsh Foundation is to inspire hope, to teach and to care for children and families. For more information about The Marsh, visit www.marshfoundation.org.
###
Photo caption: Melissa Gearhart was recently hired by The Marsh Foundation as their new supervisor of foster care.
VAN WERT, Ohio – The Marsh Foundation is holding a public showing of their new, historical documentary, “The Marsh Homestead: The Historic Tour” on Sunday, October 16 beginning at 2 p.m. in The Marsh Foundation Auditorium. The video details the amazing philanthropic influence that the George Marsh family had on the Van Wert community.
The narrator, Marsh Foundation Historian, Ron Bagley, highlights many unknown facts about the Marsh family and their genuine desire to help the less fortunate throughout the documentary. “If I didn’t know this working here 29 years intimately with the program and with the students; nobody in the community would know. And, when I talk with some of the employees that are now retired, they didn’t know either because nobody told the story. And it needs to be told,” Bagley said.
The historic home where George Marsh and his family lived is located on the west side of The Marsh Foundation campus and will be open for tours following the video presentation from approximately 3 -5 p.m. Bagley will be available as a tour guide and to answer questions. Please plan to attend and discover for yourself the historical legacy and contributions The Marsh Family made to the Van Wert Community.
To view a trailer sneak peak of the documentary, visit The Marsh Foundation’s website at www.marshfoundation.org, or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MarshFoundation. Copies of the full-length video are also available for purchase online or by contacting Dawn Berryman at 419.238.1695 ext. 233 or at .
The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, family foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster care children and community members.
###
VAN WERT, Ohio – The Marsh Foundation School held its annual spring celebration on Wednesday, May 25. The day included piano recitals, a musical production of The Wizard of Oz, a graduation ceremony and a luncheon. A total of three students were honored for receiving their high school diplomas.
Many of the youth’s friends and families, as well as community members joined in the celebration. More than 35 students participated in the day’s festivities. Many received academic awards for their successes throughout the school year. Following the program in the auditorium, everyone in attendance enjoyed a luncheon in the cafeteria.
Serving children and families since 1922, The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 35 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster children and community members.
The mission of The Marsh Foundation is to inspire hope, to teach and to care for children and families. For more information about The Marsh, visit www.marshfoundation.org.
###
Photo caption:
A student performs a duet with piano teacher Audrey McClure during the piano recital.
VAN WERT, Ohio – One of the most meaningful things you can do in life to help a child is to become a foster parent. The Marsh Foundation is celebrating Foster Care Appreciation Month throughout the month of May. The organization is focusing on recruiting additional families to help care for the many children in need.
The Marsh Foundation, in Van Wert, offers a continuum of care that includes a Foster Care Program. Last year, more than 100 children were turned away from our program because of a lack of foster homes. The Marsh believes that all children have the right to love, protection and to be cared for a by a committed family.
If you have an interest in becoming a foster parent, or are willing to place a foster care sign in your yard, please call 419.238.KIDS for more information. Inquiries can also be placed at www.marshfoundation.org/helpkids.
All foster parents receive extensive training. Certified foster parents are required to undergo continuing training to maintain their license. Foster parents can be married couples or a single individual. Foster parents are substantially reimbursed for costs associated with caring for a foster child. Consultants are assigned to each foster family and are available 24 hours, seven days a week. Consultants help create the youth’s treatment plan, offer support and are available in crisis situations.
The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for a total of 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster care children and community members.
###
VAN WERT, Ohio – The Marsh Foundation ‘Marsh Grown’ garden program will be holding their annual spring plant sale on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in The Marsh Foundation greenhouse. A variety of hanging baskets and other plants will be available. All proceeds will go to the campus youth garden program. The historic Marsh Homestead will also be open for public tours the day of the sale.
The Marsh Grown youth garden program is dedicated to helping young people develop a sense of land stewardship and learn the importance of healthy food. Participants are taught valuable gardening skills throughout the season. In addition, the program serves as a catalyst for youth to develop important job skills for future employment. Throughout the summer, the garden crew grows vegetables and sells them at the local farmer’s market for income.
Participants in the Marsh Grown garden crew are youth who are a part of The Marsh Foundation’s Independent Living Group. They are all 15 ½ years of age or older and are working on skills that will help them be successful adults. The garden program is an opportunity for them to interact with peers and adults, develop quality job skills and learn how to grow healthy food.
The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, family foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for a total of 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster care children and community members.
VAN WERT, Ohio – For the past several years, the youth at The Marsh Foundation have completed service projects during their spring break that revolve around the theme of serving others. This year, they continued their efforts.
Activities coordinator Sherry Grone coordinated the week’s projects. To start, a group of independent living aged youth prepared and served the meal Good Friday evening at the Van Wert Bread & Bowl at First United Methodist.
The Marsh girls spent time helping with the Van Wert City Easter Egg Hunt and a small group also volunteered at the Humane Society’s Animal Shelter, cleaning and socializing animals in need of extra care. During the week, they also took a trip to Ft. Wayne and worked at Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry, serving a record high 388 individuals.
One group of boys volunteered at the Lima Rescue Mission, serving dinner to homeless men and cleaning up after the meal. Another group went to Habitat for Humanity Restore in Lima and learned about how the organization builds homes and empowers people in need. The boys then helped to clean and organize the supply area in the store.
Service is a strong component of The Marsh program that works to instill a sense of stewardship in its youth.
George, Hilinda and Katie Marsh left a strong legacy by being compassionate and helping the less fortunate in the Van Wert community. Hilinda, especially, left behind writings that were very spiritual in nature. In her funeral memorial it was quoted, “Many were the days when she went about in her well-provisioned carriage, helping the sick and needy, in the very joy of her Master who went about doing good. In the church [she was] a humble and conscientious follower of the Christ; a leader for years in the Ladies’ Society of the church. Our sense of loss is deep; we shall ever hold her services in grateful remembrance.” The Marsh Foundation continues to build on and carry out that legacy and this is the inspiration behind these service projects.
Serving children and families since 1922, The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster children and community members.
The mission of The Marsh Foundation is to inspire hope, to teach and to care for children and families. For more information about The Marsh, visit www.marshfoundation.org.
###
VAN WERT, Ohio – Again this year, an egg hunt was the highlight of Easter Sunday on The Marsh Foundation Campus. It was all made possible by the Shirley Haight family, who sponsored the festivities for the sixth straight year. Haight’s daughter, Cindy Henderson, went above and beyond again this year to make Easter even more special for youth currently residing at The Marsh Foundation.
In the 1940s, Shirley Haight came to live at The Marsh. Now, her daughters and grandson continue to give back to the campus at Easter time. The family provided eggs, baskets and gifts for all of the youth on campus. Although Haight passed away in 1988, her family has made a tradition out of donating. It was a memorable day and enjoyed tremendously by Marsh Foundation youth.
Serving children and families since 1922, The Marsh Foundation is a not-for-profit children’s services agency that provides behavioral treatment in a variety of settings. Services include group homes, foster care, an intensive treatment program and independent living. Located in Van Wert, Ohio, the organization’s group homes are licensed for up to 36 children ages 7 – 17, offers an on-campus school for grades 2 – 12 and provides a variety of clinical services to group home residents, foster children and community members.
The mission of The Marsh Foundation is to inspire hope, to teach and to care for children and families. For more information about The Marsh, visit www.marshfoundation.org.
###