PCEA Catawba Valley Chapter to Help with Renovations at Sipe's Orchard Home |
Sipe’s Orchard Home was founded in 1943 by Mr. & Mrs. V.O. Sipe in Conover, North Carolina to provide care for neglected, abused, or homeless boys. The home admitted its first boy in July of 1945. Like most children’s homes of the 1940s, Sipe’s was a working farm. The boys kept busy feeding chickens, milking cows, picking peaches, or other chores. Over the years, Sipe’s has evolved to meet the changing needs of children in our society and community. The Home accepted only boys for nearly 50 years, but in 1993, Sipe’s began admitting pre-adolescent sisters of current male residents. The goal was to help keep families together. In May 1995, Sipe’s opened the Hazel T. Houston Cottage for the care of teenage girls. This was the first major program expansion in many years. Today, the "Houston Transitional Living Center" offers a supportive, residential, co-ed program for homeless, disadvantaged youth, providing them tools and opportunities to learn and practice successful independence. This program is designed for ages 17-21 who do not have the financial, academic, emotional, or behavioral skills necessary for independent living. This experiential learning environment offers numerous opportunities and resources, including independent living and vocational training, educational advancement, meals, transportation, recreation, computer & internet access, support groups, and workshops. While the current facility is at maximum capacity with 10 residents, there were over 40 teens & young adults referred to the program in 2014, meaning over 30 had to be turned away. For many years, the Catawba Valley Chapter of Professional Construction Estimators Association of America, Inc. (PCEA) has raised money for Christmas presents for the residents at Sipe's Orchard Home and the residents of the Houston Transitional Cottage. Now we are asking for your help to raise money for repairs and renovations to existing buildings on the grounds, in order to help them increase their ability to house an additional 10-15 residents. The ultimate goal is $100,000.00, and PCEA would like to help raise at least $25,000.00 to help towards this goal! ANY donations you can make are greatly appreciated and will go a long way to help these teenagers to gain the life skills they need for successful independent living, while they are working and attending school (requirements of the program). If you are unable to help financially but would like to donate your time/labor, please contact Will Clayton (Catawba Valley PCEA Chapter President), Patty Delgado (PCEA National President), or Jamie Brown (President-Sipe's Orchard Home). |