Roma, left, in black, with Robby, Youth Villages Adoption Specialist Kelly Mullins, Courtney and Cosell. Pictured also is Rhiannon.

Courtney is quick to offer welcome smiles that melt your heart each time.

She’s curious, and asks a lot of questions. Robby, her older brother, is a little different.

He’s more of a character, a ham, who plays football.

Both have come a long way with foster parents Roma and Cosell. Two years ago, Robby and Courtney were only supposed to stay the weekend, but recently signed an intent to adopt with Roma and Cosell.

“Cosell and I weren’t interested in adoption and weren’t going to, but the bond got stronger,” Roma said. “I think it takes two years to really feel family – they fit really well here, and we just love them so much.”

Roma was a foster parent before meeting Cosell, and she said he took some convincing to commit to being a foster parent. He agreed to Parents as Tender Healers foster parenting classes, but it was a little boy at their church who convinced Cosell he had a good way with children.

“I told Cosell all the time he was good with children,” Roma said. “But one day we were at church and this little boy at the opposite end of the row walked over and put his head on Cosell’s knee. Cosell picked him up and he sat there for the rest of the sermon. After the service, the boy’s father came up and told us his son never lets anyone hold him. I think he just knew Cosell was a good person.”

A few days later, they welcomed Josh, their first foster child. He still checks in with them periodically. “He knows he has a place to come lay his head whenever he needs to,” Roma said.

The family recently moved into a new home. They enjoy hosting extended family, friends and former foster children many weekends.

“We love Robby and Courtney unconditionally, and we believe no one can love them like we can. We’re happy they’re going to officially be permanent members of our family,” Cosell said. “There are children near all of us who need a forever home, a home that is safe, stable and loving. But you have to put yourself out there and help.”

Amanda Tillman

We highlight only a few of our successes in East Tennessee on this blog. Thanks to your help and the tireless efforts of our staff, many young people face a future full of potential, and many more are being helped.

Youth Villages recently was recognized by Casey Family Programs for our efforts in partnership with the state of Tennessee to help children return home to their families or find permanency through adoption. In fact, the Casey Family Study reported that since 2000, the number of children in state custody dropped from more than 10,000 to 6,700. The number of children in out-of-home placements and long-term foster care is below the national average.

Youth Villages is also part of a national study to test the transitional living program to provide evidence-based results on the program’s effectiveness. It may be the first study of its kind to evaluate how useful this service is to young people aging out of state custody.

This past year, Youth Villages in East Tennessee celebrated a record 12 adoptions and helped more than 1,300 children through our in-home, transitional living and foster care services.

One family highlighted in a post on this blog is on track to adopt two siblings they fostered for about two years. Their story is an inspiration, and one we can all take to heart when considering the future of our children. You can help in many different capacities, either by volunteering, donating, mentoring or becoming a foster parent.

To quote a parent, you just have to “put yourself out there.” Thank you for your support.

Amanda Tillman
Director of East Tennessee

Tory, left, enjoys a recent lunch with Ann, her mentor.

Developing new interests. Teaching each other.

Seeing the world through a teenager’s eyes. Achieving an understanding. Those are only a few things a mentor and mentee may learn.

Ann and Tory meet regularly for lunch and trips to the library.

Ann, Tory’s mentor, shows her new things to expand her interests.

Mentors are needed throughout the state, especially in East Tennessee.

Since 1997, Youth Villages has offered formal mentoring programs to link our children with committed volunteer mentors in Tennessee. Since 2007, Youth Villages partnered with the state to operate the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative.

“I am amazed each time I see Tory how upbeat and positive she is,” Ann said. “She’s confronted by a lot of change and she remains open to trying new things. She’s helped me to understand and view the world through a teenager’s eyes.”

Mentors are more than friends to our children.

They are often the first positive adult role model children have ever had. Mentors can make a powerful, positive difference in the lives of children who have emotional and behavioral problems.

Studies show that children who have just one consistent, caring adult in their lives are less likely to drop out of school, have fewer run-ins with the law and build better relationships with their own families.

“Having a mentor is a great thing,” Tory said. “Every time my mentor and I meet, we go to the library. We teach each other a lot of things.”

“It’s neat to see her develop new interests,” Ann said.

“We have so much in common. I look forward to our visits because we both get so much out of them.”

Cheryl Stayner, left, TL specialist, with Jessie. Jessie plans to begin pre-veterinarian courses at a local community college.

Jessie made a quick turnaround.

She’s participating in Youth Villages’ transitional living program, but she first received intensive in-home services to address being physically aggressive and truant.

At home and at school, she was quick to fight. She missed about 50 days of school.

Cheryl Stayner’s relationship with Jessie began as her in-home counselor.

In a few short months, Jessie learned alternatives to aggressive behavior and channeled her energy toward positive, personal interests.

She graduated high school with a 3.7 grade point average and plans to attend a local community college.

“Jessie’s come a long way from the girl she was,” Stayner said. “She wants to become a veterinarian specializing in caring for horses.”

She’s also a new mom and through transitional living, took parenting classes and prepared her home for her new addition. Stayner helped her stay on top of bills and worked with her on being an effective parent. It’s a lot to keep track of, and with Stayner’s help, Jessie is on the path to a bright future.

Learn more about our Transitional Living program at youthvillages.org.

TVA’s Carolyn Creek, right, with Bonnie McKinney, Youth Villages clinical liaison in Chattanooga.

Chattanooga Tennessee Valley Authority employees who donate to the United Way can choose which organization to benefit. Those who chose Youth Villages recently had the opportunity to ride along with a counselor.

TVA’s Carolyn Creek rode with Bonnie McKinney, clinical liaison.

“I found Carolyn riding with me to be re-energizing for my work,” McKinney said. “It was encouraging to see our services through her eyes. She got to see our mission and values in action.”

Contributions to Youth Villages support programs that give emotionally troubled children the best chance of success. By supporting Youth Villages, you help children and families live successfully. You can make a secure, online gift at youthvillages.org.

Antoine in Massachusetts works with Transitional Living specialist Jackie Coleman on learning to live successfully as an independent adult.

Youth Villages’ transitional living program is part of a national clinical trial to measure its effectiveness.

The study will evaluate the difference between the TL program and usual services available in the community. Participants will be interviewed periodically to track their progress.

The study will involve about 1,600 young people who will be randomly assigned to TL or other community resources during the next two years. TL services are available for young people 17-22 who are aging out of state custody and have little or no support. TL specialists help young people secure housing; pursue educational and employment goals; access health and mental health services; learn such independent living skills as budgeting, cooking, cleaning and shopping; and create and maintain healthy relationships with family and others.

“To my knowledge, there are very few evidence-based programs for this population,” said Sarah Hurley, director of research at Youth Villages. “We hope the evidence produced by this study will help us convince states and others to increase resources to meet the needs of young people entering this critical transition phase.”

MDRC conducts large-scale evaluations of policies and programs to provide objective, unbiased evidence. MDRC research often helps shape legislation, program design and operational practices across the country.

Since Oct. 1, young people who have been in custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services for at least one year after their 14th birthday or at least one day after their 17th birthday, are at least 18 and meet TL requirements for inclusion in the program will enter a lottery process for selection to TL or usual services.

Participation in the study is voluntary, but youth must consent to participate in the study to get in the TL program. All youth eligible for the study receive an assessment of their independent living needs and develop a housing plan to assist them in making the transition out of state custody.

Melanie Manns is Youth Villages’ research coordinator for the study.

“This study will provide independent results and data compiled by an organization with nearly four decades of experience in evaluating social policies and programs,” Manns said. “The focus on young people in foster care gives them a voice, a chance to be a part of something that will potentially change the structure of support and assistance for many youth and young adults in the future.”

Volunteer Christie Pattie, left, and her daughter, Emily, stand behind donated backpacks loaded with school supplies with Youth Villages’ Melissa Jackson and Gary Johnson.

The first days of school are important. From kindergarten to senior year, the first week is one of excitement and anxiety. From what children wear, to how they walk, talk, look and behave, they are under scrutiny from peers and adults alike.

School should be fun. Children shouldn’t worry about having needed supplies.

Helen Carter, right, executive vice president of the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS®, stands with Jolynn Newhouse and Teresa Tillery.

Being prepared and ready lends a confidence that can set the year off right. In East Tennessee, young people receiving in-home services received backpacks filled with essential supplies for the school year.

Two years ago, Gary Johnson, Youth Villages East Tennessee development manager, contacted Helen Carter, executive vice president of the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS®.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Carter said. “But he simply asked if we were interested in helping children.”

From that call, Backpack Heroes has reached nearly 100 children across East Tennessee, providing them with school supplies stuffed into a backpack.

“The response from KAAR and REALTORS® was unbelievable,” Johnson said. “This partnership wouldn’t be possible without the enthusiasm and overwhelming support of KAAR staff and member REALTORS®.”

This year, Backpack Heroes outfitted about 40 children receiving in-home services from Youth Villages. Jolynn Newhouse and Teresa Tillery were responsible for getting KAAR members to help children in their area.

“It’s a wonderful program,” Newhouse said. “You don’t really think about children needing supplies and a pack, but they mean so much to a child.”

“Many of us have adult children, so it was neat for us to be able to go out and buy school supplies again,” Tillery said.

“We made sure every child on the list received a pack and class-appropriate supplies.”

Protractors, pencils, pens, rulers, lunchboxes, nap pads and more were given to school counselors to then give to the young people.

“We sent a notice to our brokers that there were children in their communities who needed help,” Carter said. “Their response was awesome.”

Plans are under way to potentially outfit more children next year. Carter said it makes sense for a REALTOR® to help.

“We live and work in our communities, which makes them easy to sell,” Carter said. “Because of that, it’s a natural fit for us to respond to a need. We’re proud to help our community, but more importantly, our children.”

Contributions to Youth Villages support programs that give emotionally troubled children the best chance of success. By supporting Youth Villages, you help children and families live successfully. You can make a secure, online gift at youthvillages.org.

Larry Kiehna of Collierville and East Memphian Jim Hofer, chairmen of Euro Fest, and Jim Duke, longtime member of the Birtish Sports Car and Motorcycle Club of Memphis, pose with some classic cars at last year’s Euro Fest.

The 4th Annual Euro Fest, organized by the British Sports Car and Motorcycle Club of Memphis, is set for Saturday, Oct. 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Youth Villages Bartlett Campus at 7410 Memphis-Arlington Rd.

The event, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Memphis, presents a wide variety of classic, vintage and rare European sports cars, sedans, motorcycles and touring cars brought in from around Tennessee and across the Mid-South. This year’s featured marquee is Mercedes-Benz.

The show is free to the public, and event proceeds and donations benefit Youth Villages, a private nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping troubled children and their families. Visitors are encouraged to vote for their show favorite in the People’s Choice category.

The festival draws at least 100 cars and more than 1,000 visitors. To view pictures of cars at previous Euro Fests, go to www.memphisbritishcars.org.

Judging and tech sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Awards will be presented at 3 p.m., followed by a fun rally at 3:30 p.m. starting at the Bartlett Campus.

Awards will be given out in the following categories: Best of Show – High Point Car and Longest Distance Traveled, as well as People’s Choice.
 Concessions, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs will be available.

Cars participating in the show must be registered by 10 a.m. on Oct. 2. Cars can be registered Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hampton Inn at the Wolfchase Galleria at 2935 N. Germantown Parkway. You may also register your car on Friday, Oct. 1 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Youth Villages Bartlett Campus at 7410 Memphis-Arlington Rd. or the morning of the show between 8 and 10 a.m. at the show site. Cars may also be registered by mail. To download a registration form, go to http://www.memphisbritishcars.org.

The British Sports Car Club LTD. of Memphis is one of the country’s oldest and most successful British car clubs. Founded in the early 1950s, the club has more than 100 members from the Memphis metro area, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama, Illinois and places as far as 500 miles from Memphis. The annual car and motorcycle show is the largest in the region and attracts car fans from neighboring states and from as far away as Canada and Florida.

Be sure to read this story from The Washington Post about Danielle Pleasant and her work with Youth Villages in-home counselor Chanell Scott to bring her family all together under one roof after the children have spent years in foster care and residential services.

It’s a realistic portrait of some of the challenges the families we work with face, but one with a real chance for a happy ending.

washingtonpost.com: A D.C. family works to reunify, in and out of court

Among the players are University of Memphis legend Penny Hardaway’s TAD All Stars, which also include former Tiger and NBA players Andre Turner and Cedric Henderson; U of M fan favorite Leon Mitchell; and Fred Smith with the Harlem Globetrotters. Former Tiger and Globetrotter Keiron Shine will compete with his Lakers team. Former Raleigh-Egypt and UAB star Lawrence Kinnard is playing with his fellow Cordova USA teammates, and Galen Young, who played at UNCC and for the Milwaukee Bucks, will play with the Bolivar Warriors.

The games begin Friday at 6 p.m. in the gym at the Youth Villages Bartlett Campus School at 7341 Memphis-Arlington Road, and continue all day Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with the championship bracket games starting at 9 a.m. Sunday. The tournament final is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday.

UPDATE: Penny Hardaway, L.A. Lakers star Andre Turner, and Cedric Henderson, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and other NBA teams, were among the players who made the recent YV Classic fundraiser a truly classic tournament, helping raise $1,500 for Youth Villages.

“It’s a great benefit for Youth Villages,” said Darnell Austin, a program manager on our Bartlett Campus and a former basketball player who spent some time playing the sport in Argentina. “The players had a great time and so did we, and the campus kids who came to watch the game.”

View the photo slideshow.