http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/ Murphy Harpst Journal http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=92 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=92 Fri, 3 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT Have you ever considered becoming a one-to-one mentor to a young person with a need for healthy relationships, adult guidance, and unconditional love? Murphy Harpst has launched a mentoring program designed to meet the mutual interests of our children and adults 21 years or older who seek opportunities to enhance the lives of young people who come to us for loving care and professional treatment. Mentors are asked to made a minimum commitment of one year. Further information is avaliable here on the volunteer page of our website and from Jerrica Becker at (770) 748-1500, ext. 232. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=91 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=91 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT The Rescue Riders Motorcyle Rally organized by the Allen Hunt Show grows in enthusiasm and impact each year. Held this year on April 20, the Rally doubled in particpation from last year, and more than $15,000 was raised for Murphy-Harpst! It was a beautiful day for Rescue Riders who enjoyed their excursion from Atlanta to Cedartown followed by a hearty lunch provided by Chick-fil-A and fun with the kids at Murphy Harpst. Many thanks to Chick-fil-A and Your Seamless Event for helping to sponsor the Rescue Riders Motorcycle Rally. Volunteer Linda Farr with Event Organizer Allen Hunt Many thanks to the above volunteers from Trinity United Methodist Church in Rome and United Methodist Women from other churches in the Rome-Carrollton District for helping with the Rally. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=90 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=90 Mon, 8 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT Georgia News Network's Georgia Focus program featuring Murphy-Harpst aired on 108 radio stations in the Georgia News Network April 6 and 7. Listen now to Georgia Focus. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=87 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=87 Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EDT Huey Luey's Mexican Restaurant at 5460 Wendy Bagwell Parkway in Hiriam was packed full on March 7 as hundreds turned out to support Murphy Harpst! Restaurant owner Richard Stahl donated 50% of all sales from 4:00 until 9:00 p.m. to Murphy Harpst. Methodist churches in Paulding County promoted the event. Results surpassed expectations along with rewards of delicious Mexican dining. Many thanks to participants--including all of the friendly staff at Huey Luey's who ran at a fast pace all evening--and especially to Richard Stahl for being mindful of the tremendous needs of young people at Murphy Harpst. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=77 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=77 Mon, 4 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST Take a look at the new Murphy-Harpst video, "Homecoming." It is also accessible with the YouTube button at the top right of the screen. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=84 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=84 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST Youth from Buford First United Methodist Church visited Murphy Harpst on MLK Day and led some great activities with our young people. Even though the day was cold, everyone had a great time. Thanks! http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=82 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=82 Tue, 8 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST The Northbrook United Methodist Men's 9th Annual Christmas tree sale resulted in $17,000 for children at Murphy-Harpst! Each year, the men at Northbrook travel to North Carolina, select and cut the trees, and then transport them back to the church for the sale. Many of the buyers made donations in addition to the cost of the tree. Proceeds from the sale also went to benefit Street GRACE, an organization dedicated to eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Atlanta and beyond. The United Methodist Men at Northbrook UMC are very active and have been dedicated to serving the young people at Murphy Harpst for several years. We are forever grateful and very proud to be a recipients of such generosity. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=81 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=81 Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST Life and Hope For Children Artwork provided by a child at Murphy-Harpst WINTER 2012 To our dear friends, Welcome to the first Murphy-Harpst newsletter! We've created this publication to keep you informed about what's happening at Murphy-Harpst as we work to heal our children. We'll use this newsletter to keep in touch, share news, and express our thanks to our supporters. We are very appreciative of all of our supporters who contribute through donations, volunteering and prayers. You have helped us to help those who need it most desperately – the kids at Murphy-Harpst. We also want to acknowledge donors such as Tempur-Pedic Mattresses, which donated more than $100,000 in mattresses for our children. We appreciate your donation and we know these young people appreciate a comfortable place to rest and sleep, some likely for the first time. In addition, all of the hard work and donations provided for our new gym is making a huge difference. Construction recently started and we couldn't be more excited to have the opportunity to provide the kids with a safe place to enjoy games, sports and positive physical recreation. You are making a difference in our children's lives and we couldn't be more thankful. We look forward to keeping in touch. Many thanks, Bruce Elder One Child's Story Recently, a young man from New York stood in front of the Murphy-Harpst team and thanked them for not giving up on him as a child, as so many others had done. Twenty-two year old Luke* said he thinks of Murphy-Harpst as his family because they taught him that his emotional wounds would eventually heal. As a young child, Luke was abandoned by his mother and abused by his step-parent. He was shuffled in and out of psychiatric hospitals until he was placed in foster care -- where he was discriminated against, abused and molested. When Luke was 10, he was placed in Murphy-Harpst's residential treatment program. His grandparents worked with Murphy-Harpst's Foster Care Program, and he was allowed to live with them. However, his distrust of adults from years of abuse led to angry arguments and physical aggression. Luke returned to Murphy-Harpst, this time to a group home for teenagers. With the team's guidance, Luke learned how to be an adult -- having a part-time job, managing a bank account and paying bills. At 18, he was emancipated and moved to New York. Luke is currently writing a book about his tumultuous childhood and the positive impact of Murphy-Harpst on his life. He hopes the book will help to heal his wounds and would like the profits to be donated to the organization. He plans to attend a community college and wants to get a degree in psychology in order to help children who are suffering like he did. Although Luke still faces challenges due to years of severe abuse, he is able to lead a productive life thanks to Murphy-Harpst. *Name has been changed What you might not know about Murphy-Harpst If you're one of the 50,000 faithful listeners of Allen Hunt's Sunday evening show on WSB radio (95.5 FM and AM750), you may have heard Murphy-Harpst mentioned a time or two. But did you know that Hunt has been a generous supporter of the organization more than 20 years? In the late 1980s, Hunt was a Methodist pastor in the Carrollton and Rome areas. With Murphy-Harpst nearby, he met several staff members and the stories they shared about children at the facility left a deep impression on him. "It struck me that this was really important work, and I needed to help," Hunt said. And help he did. Over the years, Hunt has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Murphy-Harpst through giving initiatives at his former congregations and other events. He donates time for ads on his radio show to raise awareness of the organization and is also involved in the second annual Rescue Riders motorcycle rally which will take place in April. Last year, around 100 motorcycle riders journeyed to Murphy-Harpst to spend the day and interact with the children. Hunt whole-heartedly believes in supporting Murphy-Harpst. "It's really important work that they do and no one else in the state does it," he said. "People might think these kids don't matter, but they do." If you would like to be added to the email distribution list for newsletters, please contact Jim Tichenor, Director of Communications. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=80 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=80 Tue, 4 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST Many thanks to the Women's Circle at Unity of Kennesaw Church who presented Tia McKnight, Murphy-Harpst Director of Compliance, with 20 hand-made blankets for our young people. Each blanket has The Prayer of Protection sewn to it. Our Admission Coordinator – Sarah Bunn – gives each youth a blanket when they are admitted to our residential program. The kids love the blankets, which are a nice comfort item. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=79 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=79 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST Check out the story about Murphy-Harpst as "a powerful service organization" and the profile of one of our children on the new Nancy Grace Website! http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=76 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=76 Thu, 1 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EDT None of 35 children went "off track" in walking or pedaling a total of 424 laps in the Pedal Project Bike-a-thon held Saturday, October 27. Challenged by a course with difficult uphill climbs as easy down hills, young people at Murphy-Harpst set goals for themselves—learning how the same challenges apply to daily life. "It was such a pleasure to see the children set personal goals for themselves as to how many laps they thought they could do and then complete or surpass their goal," said Murphy-Harpst Board Member Mary Margaret Mauer. "One child completed 30 laps!" At the same, the children raised more than $1500 to support Murphy-Harpst and were rewarded with a pizza lunch by the Murphy-Harpst Auxiliary (pictured below) , which sponsors this annual event and donates safety helmets. Special thanks to volunteers Billy Nicholson and Trey Smith for reconditioning bicycles and having them ready for this event as well as for lots of riding throughout the year. Thanks also go to the Murphy-Harpst maintenance team for their help. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=73 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=73 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT Eddie Hilburn of Cedartown has discovered two rare photos of co-founder Sarah Murphy which he graciously shared with us. These were taken on March 11, 1946, and include some of the children at the Sarah Murphy Home. Below are the photos followed by the caption that appears on the back of each photo. "With the slenderest of resources, Sarah Murphy has maintained a private orphanage for homeless children for the past 15 years near Cedartown, GA. In 1931, Sarah was called to the bed side of a neighbor woman who died shortly after giving birth to her sixth child. There was no one to care for the orphaned children, so Sarah and her husband took them in. That was the start of what she terms 'The work I was called to do.' Now there are 49 in the Sarah Divinia Murphy Home. Here Sarah leads a group of her children in a spiritual. The little ones in front didn't sing, but their feet tapped out the rhythn." (3/11/46) "This little girl, Mary Murphy, was brought to the orphanage six years ago when she was a one-day-old foundling, left on the front porch of a home in a neighboring town." (3/11/46) If you can identify children in the above photos and/or know of their whereabouts today, please contact Jim Tichenor in our Rome Office at (706) 232-5663. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=72 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=72 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT A large and enthusiastic group of Milton High School Students came to Murphy-Harpst for Fun Friday on July 13! Our kids really enjoyed activities that included football, painting nails, making ceramic pots, and eating cupcakes. The Milton High group has been really great to our kids for the past 4 years, and we look forward to seeing them again at Christmas! http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=71 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=71 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT Summer Program staff member Nagee Smith was awarded a basketball scholarship to Gordon College. The two coaches (both named Coach Ingle) come up to our campus to do an "official signing." They also spoke to the kids about the hard work it takes to get there. Nagee told the kids to never give up on their dreams! We are so proud of him! http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=70 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=70 Mon, 2 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT The West Cobb Girls Softball League came out Friday, June 22, to eat lunch with us and play a few hours of softball. It was sweltering hot, but they were true professionals and did an excellent job practicing the basics with our residents and playing a few games with them! Thanks to Meagan Edwards for helping to coordinate the group of young ladies! http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=69 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=69 Thu, 7 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EDT Stockbridge United Methodist Church Women and St. Peter's Episcopal Church Youth from Rome are only a few of the many groups on campus this summer assisting with recreation activities and doing service projects. As the photos show, these volunteers enjoyed their experiences at Murphy-Harpst! While volunteer opportunities for the summer are already booked, we are now looking for volunteer groups for the fall. If interested, please contact Recreation Coordinator Pam Kramer. The Stockbridge United Methodist Women's Group, led by Pam Nehling, hosted our May birthday party--providing cupcakes, icecream, and many wonderful prizes that kept our kids playing one Bingo game after another! After leading our kids in kickball, soccer, tag football, and softball in the mornings and building 1/3 mile of a horse trail in their afternoons, the youth from St. Peter's Episcopal Church Youth enjoy cooling off in the Murphy-Harpst pool. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=68 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=68 Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT Gladys Heath of Rome, Georgia, has been honored by the Murphy-Harpst Children's Centers Auxiliary with the dedication of a bench placed on the Cedartown campus. Ms. Heath was recognized at a meeting and luncheon of the auxiliary on March 23 for her 28 years of faithful work on behalf of the auxiliary including service as First Vice President, Treasurer, and President. Ms. Heath is credited by all the members for reviving and rededicating the auxiliary in their service to the children of Murphy-Harpst during her Presidency. Ms. Heath has been a member of Rome First United Methodist Church for the past 32 years. The auxiliary is an organization of some 150 volunteers with the mission of "keeping alive the dedication and spirit of Sarah Murphy and Ethel Harpst by promoting "the welfare of the children of Murphy Harpst". The bench dedicated in honor of Ms. Heath was designed and fabricated by Dave Getman of Cedartown. Standing: Chuck Troutman, Murphy-Harpst President & CEO; Tish Redwine, Auxiliary Secretary Seated: Rev. Nancy English, Auxiliary President; Gladys Heath, Honoree http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=65 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=65 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST An enthusiastic group from Mt. Bethel UMC in Hiram (pictured below) visited Murphy-Harpst on February 21 and brought numerous scrapbooking supplies, including stickers, presses, and an amazing Cricut Electronic Cutter that will cut 800 different images! "The scrapbooking supplies will enable the kids to work on scrapbooks that, for some, will be treasured chronicles of their time at Murphy-Harpst and, for others, will enable them to stay connected with their families while in residence," said Pam Kramer, Recreation Coordinator. This gift of art therapy supplies will have a lasting impression on many children served by Murphy-Harpst. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=56 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=56 Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST Murphy-Harpst is very proud to learn that Ethel Harpst has been named to the Georgia Women of Achievement. The induction ceremony will take place in Macon on March 8. Sarah Murphy was inducted in 2004, and now both founders are members of this distinguished group of women who shaped Georgia's history! Below is press information released by Georgia Women of Achievement. http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=62 http://www.murphyharpst.org/journal/index.php?entity_id=62 Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST The W.D. Trippe Trust of Cedartown, Georgia has announced a $100,000 challenge to Murphy-Harpst to raise $130,000 needed to underwrite the total cost of a $230,000 Multipurpose Recreation Center. To date, $25,000 has been raised, and we need $105,000 in donations to meet the challenge and receive $100,000 from the Trippe Trust for the project! While Murphy-Harpst has a strong equine assisted therapy program, a ropes challenge course, and numerous opportunities for outdoor sports such as football, soccer, softball, swimming, and beach volleyball, indoor recreation is very limited. Since 1942 with the construction of Merner Chapel, indoor recreation has been confined to the Chapel basement, which was designed on the scale of a church fellowship hall and suitable for only a small number of indoor games and activities. This limitation inhibits recreation therapy on days of inclement weather, including very cold and hot temperatures, and athletic activities after dark. Our plans to address the need for indoor recreation include the construction of a pre-engineered metal, multi-purpose 80 ft. by 100 ft. gymnasium on a concrete pad. This indoor facility will have an impact on the young people at Murphy-Harpst by more than doubling the number of indoor recreational opportunities currently provided. This will be accomplished through: the addition of a full-size basketball court; opportunities for indoor volleyball, tennis, badminton, dodge ball, indoor soccer, and other activities; providing enough space that more than one indoor activity or class can be offered at the same time; increasing recreational opportunities not only on a regular schedule but also on days of inclement weather, including extreme hot and cold temperatures, and after dark; opportunities for other staff such as cottage leaders and volunteers to utilize indoor recreation in their activities with the children. For information and to make a gift to help Murphy-Harpst achieve the challenge grant, please email Emily Saltino or Jim Tichenor or call them at (706) 232-5663.