After months of work and preparation, theBerean Children’s Home is now ready to welcome children.

    Started in 1979, the home recently relocated from Albany, La. toLincoln County. The move allows the home to be closer to itsvolunteers and its support base at Mt. Olive Church of Christ.

    Wendell Davis, president of the home, said the buildings have justpassed fire, health and dietician inspections, and all theemployees have received CPR and first aid training. The firstchildren are expected to be at the home in the next seven to 10days if everything works out.

    Davis said the community has been really supportive by donatingmoney, supplies and labor. Flooring and copper wire was contributedas well as a boardroom table and beds. A volunteer constructed thebeds so that they would be sturdier than store-bought ones. He alsosaid a group of volunteers made the quilts for each of thebeds.

    The entire facility consists of one administration building, tworesidence buildings and a cafeteria. It currently has room for 16children, but Davis said after the addition of two more buildings,capacity will expand to 32. 

    Davis said originally the board hoped to continue with phase twoonce the former home site land in Louisiana was sold. However, theland was sold with owner financing, so the home is receivingpayments every month instead of a lump sum. He hopes to continuewithin the next year.

    Expansion plans consist of adding a pavilion in the middle of thecircle drive that will have picnic tables and fans so boys andgirls can go outside and talk or play. He also hopes to build agym, a baseball/softball field and two more residencebuildings.

    The new residence buildings will contain an extra bedroom on thehouse parents’ side so that if an infant or toddler comes to thehome, he or she can be close to the adults.

    He said Copiah-Lincoln Community College sent volunteers to thehome to prepare the ball field. The home was only required to buygas and feed the volunteers.

    Davis said the home allows for many children to have opportunitiesthey wouldn’t have otherwise. The last group of children thatstayed a full year had only two people passing. By the end of theyear, all the children passed, with five on the honor roll. He saidthe success of the children is largely through the tutoringprogram, in which certified teachers come and spend extra time withthe struggling students.

    Through the 33 years of operation, Davis said there have been 432children who stayed for a year or more. Every one of them, excepttwo, has turned out to be an upstanding citizen, with families andsteady jobs.

    “Most of the kids would tell you that if it wasn’t for us, orsomething like us, they’d have ended up in jail or on welfare,” hesaid.

    Davis said the other part of the success is the attention thechildren are given.

    “We try to get close to them and let them know we care,” hesaid.

    Davis said the children who graduated high school while living atthe home are helped getting into college or trade school.

    “We give them the opportunity we would our own (children),” hesaid.

    Davis said one thing that sets the Berean Children’s Home apart isthat it is fully funded by donations and receives no money from thegovernment.

    “(In the Bible) James tells us that we should take care of thewidows and orphans,” he said. “We feel like it’s ourresponsibility.”

    The name of the school also can be found in the bible. When thehome first opened, the first children were reading Acts 17, wherePaul traveled to Berea. One of the boys pointed out verse 11.

    “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; theyreceived the word with all eagerness, examining the Scripturesdaily to see if these things were so.”

    The boy suggested the name because he thought the home should belike Berea.

    Davis said the home strives to take in any child who needshelp.

    “If you know a child that needs help, let us know,” he said.

    The home is able take in children from age 4 to 13, but can ventureoutside the range with the approval of a committee. Davis said theyalmost always accept the children.

    Generally, the children who are turned away have severe drugproblems or mental health problems because the home is not equippedto handle those specific issues.

    For more information about the Berean Children’s Home, visitwww.bereanhome.org.