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Who are we talking about? Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home was founded in 1915. The Home is a residential treatment facility dedicated to helping youth and their families through difficult times. Many of the boys and girls have experienced physical and emotional abuse, neglect or abandonment. The Children’s Home is licensed to serve children ages 6-18. On a yearly basis, 175 youth and their families are helped toward a better future through this outreach ministry of the United Methodist Church in Indiana. The Home has a five part treatment program which includes: Christian education, group living, counseling, education and recreation. Youth come to the Home from across the state and the average length of stay is 6 to 9 months. What is Fall Booth Festival? This event is a long standing fund raising project which links groups from the South Indiana Conference with the youth of Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home. Today, adult groups and UMYF groups from the South Indiana Conference help to raise funds for the Home’s food budget through creative projects and events in the name of Fall Booth Festival. When does this event take place? Actually, the promotion of Fall Booth Festival takes place in early Fall but your fund raising events can be held at your convenience. To receive Conference credit for the year your contribution must be turned into the conference office by December 31. Please be sure to place your donation on line #17 of the Conference monthly remittance form. Where does the “festival” idea come from? The name Booth Festival comes from the Old Testament. The Feast of Booths was one of the three great annual festivals of the Israelites, celebrated with great joy at the completion of the harvest. In 1924, districts throughout the conference took an interest in the Children’s Home and started collecting canned goods. Churches would construct a booth describing their Fall Booth Festival work and prizes were awarded for the most elaborate booth. It is important to note as the needs of the boys and girls have changed through the years, Fall Booth Festival has experienced changes as well. Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home presently receives mostly cash gifts from Fall Booth Festival activities and uses these gifts to purchase wholesale food items. The food purchased meets the dietary needs of the boys and girls and is prepared according to guidelines set forth by the Indiana State Department of Health. Why should your congregation participate? Youth from across the state, your district and possibly your own community need help. Each year, the Home reaches out with Christian care and concern to youth from across the state. Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home offers a safe environment with supportive treatment services which help youth to rebuild their lives. Through your Fall Booth Festival efforts, you will be helping to provide a portion of the Home’s food budget and supporting positive changes in the lives of the youth in care. Fall Booth Festival provides a unique and rewarding opportunity for those in the local churches to give a helping hand to emotionally troubled youth in Indiana. For more information, please contact: Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home, 515 W. Camp Street, Lebanon, IN 46052, phone 765-482-5900, e-mail iumch@iumch.org. |
