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Since opening our doors in 2010, Jill's House has provided 395,397 hours of respite.
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 You keep a child living at home through regular respite and independence.
Family Spotlight: Meet Eugene, Jennifer and Zachary
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Thanks to Jill's House and Zachary's growing independence, he is living safe at home with his dad, Eugene (top) and mom, Jennifer.
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"I will never forget the day Zachary asked, 'Can we celebrate the one year anniversary of me being able to live at home with my mom and dad?'" said Mary Leidy, Jill's House's family support and intern director. Zachary, a teenager currently served through the Weeknights at Jill's House school program, began attending Jill's House when our doors first opened in 2010.
"We adopted Zachary when he was two years old," said Zachary's dad, Eugene. "At first things were easy. But as time went on, the challenges became greater. Zachary was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and is on the autism spectrum. There have been many bumps in the road through the years. But by the grace of God and his stays at Jill's House Zachary's behaviors are more manageable, he has become more confident and we are now able to keep him at home with us, where he belongs."
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Watch Zachary share how much he loves Weeknights at Jill's House where he builds friendships, independence and social skills.
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"Zachary had significant medical and behavioral issues when he first started coming to Jill's House," continued Leidy. "We worked with his family, the Jill's House medical team and Zachary's therapists to develop a plan that would allow him to live at home safely with his parents. Part of that plan included a verbal contract with Zachary that if he felt as if his behavior was going to be out of control, he would inform his parents and 'take a break' at Jill's House for 24-48 hours.
"Knowing he was part of the plan helped him break the emotional dependence he placed on longer-term residential facilities. His stays at Jill's House helped Zachary learn to trust himself and his parents and allowed him to get his anxiety under control while learning healthy ways to cope. We have also seen Zachary's spiritual growth over the years as he now has a strong desire to learn more about Jesus as a result of his stays at Jill's House." Read more.
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Andrea's experience as a typical sibling of Andres, 19, developed her love for the Jill's House families she serves.
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IMPACT
Jill's House's Weekday Program Supervisor uses her personal experience as a typical sibling to benefit children Jill's House serves.
Jill's House's stories of impact typically surround celebrations such as a non-verbal child who said his first words--"Jill's House." Or a mom and dad who went on their first date since their child was born. Or a typical sibling who had both parents attend his basketball game for the first time, ever. Behind each of these success stories are countless donors, staff and volunteers who make these pivotal moments possible. People like Jill's House's Weekday Program Supervisor, Andrea Perdomo.
Andrea supervises the Weeknights at Jill's House school program and coordinates with local schools, parents, bus drivers, nurses and childcare specialists to ensure each child is safe and happy during his or her overnight stay. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Andrea also manages day programs during the summer and school holidays, as well as the Jill's House Fellowship Program.
"My brother Andres is the reason I want to serve this population," said Andrea. "He is 19 and has a developmental delay. I personally saw how difficult raising him was for my family, especially since Andres was non-verbal and medically fragile when he was younger. My mom couldn't go to church; my parents had an awful relationship as a result of the stress, and my sister Amanda and I were not able to receive as much attention as we wanted because my brother needed so much. So I know firsthand what it is like to live in a family raising a child with special needs. Being the typical sibling in a family like this requires you to learn a lot about patience." Read more.
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Mike is a familiar face to the children Jill's House serves every Tuesday after school.
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SERVING Faithful volunteer serves every Tuesday night and sees children grow emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Mike Cauldwell, a self-described "successfully retired former business owner," first learned about Jill's House as it was being built and has faithfully served Jill's House every Tuesday night since our doors first opened in 2010. As a "buddy" who works with teenage boys who attend Jill's House after school, Mike has seen huge improvements in the children he serves.
"The best part about the school partnership program is that I serve the same group of teenage boys every week," said Mike, "so I really get to know them. The consistency of them seeing the same faces, week after week, helps them gain confidence and really lets their personalities shine."
One of the special children Mike has buddied up with on a regular basis is Andreas. "Andreas is one of the older teenage boys I serve," Mike continued. "He has such a sweet personality. He's always cheerful, never in a bad mood. The only problem is he is a lot more active than I! At 59, I don't have the same stamina as Andreas, so when he does his non-stop jumps and high-fives, I literally become exhausted!
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Watch Mike share his story about serving at Jill's House.
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"Watching the teenage boys grow over the past couple of years has been a real blessing to me. I have seen them grow physically--one boy grew six inches in just one year--and also emotionally and spiritually. They are becoming more confident and interacting on a deeper level with the Jill's House staff, volunteers and each other. They are more talkative and their personalities really shine through now."
Mike recommends that anyone interested in serving at Jill's House do so with a true servant's heart. "What I have learned is that no matter what your position may be in life, no matter how successful you are or were, serving at Jill's House requires you to leave that all behind. You need to do whatever you see needs to be done. That can mean helping prepare meals, cleaning up a mess on the floor or tying a shoe. We are there to serve the children, no matter what it takes. But I guarantee you this one thing: Serving at Jill's House is one of the most important and rewarding things you will ever do."
To learn more about opportunities to serve at Jill's House, visit jillshouse.org/serve or call 703.639.5660.
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Visit Jill's House on October 5 and learn how God is opening doors and providing hope.
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EVENTS
Respite, Relationship and Redemption: Visit our Open House on Sunday, October 5 from 12-5 PM
You are invited to our annual open house on Sunday, October 5, 2014 from 12 to 5 PM--the only time we open our doors to the public during the year. Learn how God uses Jill's House to bring salvation, hope and renewal to families raising children with special needs here and across the country.
During the event you can take a tour, meet our families and learn how God uses Jill's House to impact families physically, emotionally and--most importantly--spiritually.
Jill's House transforms lives in ways we never imagined. Since opening our doors in 2010, we have served 500 families raising children with special needs and provided nearly 400,000 hours of much-needed respite care.
Bring a friend and celebrate the ways God uses Jill's House to renew families, like Gary's:
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Watch and hear how Jill's House provides spiritual support to Gary as he learns to raise his son alone.
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"Even though my wife has passed on, leaving me alone to raise our son, Christian, I still know God is powerful. The fact that He is powerful, loving and kind hasn't changed. What has changed, though, is how I think He feels about me. But one thing that keeps me connected, keeps me holding on to my faith, is the experience my son has at Jill's House. When Christian is there, I know he's at a place that is spiritual, that believes in the Lord. That keeps me connected and prevents me from totally turning around."
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NEWS
Jill's House's President and CEO, Cameron Doolittle, shares how prenatal testing is changing congregations and the population of all people with special needs.
Earlier this month The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention published an article by Cameron Doolittle, president and CEO of Jill's House. The compelling article, titled Prenatal Testing is Changing Your Church, shared how the landscape of people with special needs and the resources required to support them is changing at an alarming rate. Doolittle attributes this shift to a number of factors, including:
- Prenatal testing, which is now a routine procedure for expectant mothers. Sadly, the majority of women who learn as early as 10 weeks into their pregnancy that their unborn child has Down syndrome no longer bring that child to term.
- Increases in autism diagnoses, which has grown by 30 percent over the last two years.
The decrease in children with Down syndrome and increase in children with autism is quickly changing the face of disability in America. Currently, of the children Jill's House serves, more than 50 percent have autism; 20 percent have Down syndrome; 20 percent have other diagnoses such as brain injury or cerebral palsy; and 10 percent have other chromosomal abnormalities. The children with autism, however, require a lot more care and in extreme cases require residential placement (see our family story, above). This shift not only adds more strain and stress on the family unit; it also requires a stronger community support system, including churches, medical facilities and respite.
Read the article in its entirety. To support this growing population through respite at Jill's House, visit jillshouse.org/donate. Jill's House is 100% funded by individual donations, foundations and corporate support.
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J.C. is gearing up for his ride to support Jill's House!
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GIVING
J.C. Walker plans a fundraiser to ride a mile for every day of the year courageous families raising children with special needs face challenges.
Raising children with special needs brings unique challenges to families 365 days each year. As a symbolic nod to the families Jill's House serves, J.C. Walker is embarking on a bike ride from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, approximately the same number of miles, to raise funds to help Jill's House support these courageous families.
"I joined a team of McLean Bible Church men for a charity ride back in 2008 and participated every year until 2012," said J.C. "During that time I met Andrew Hartman, whose son is served by Jill's House. Since I have volunteered for ACCESS Ministries and Andrew and his son directly benefit from the gift of Jill's House, we want to give something back."
 J.C. and Andrew are preparing to depart from mile marker zero of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal Towpath in Washington, D.C. on October 19. Three days later they will continue on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and arrive in Pittsburgh three days after that. Their goal this year is to test the six-day route, with the hopes of ironing out details and promoting the ride to the public in future years.
"We will be giving back 100% raised this year for Jill's House to serve more children," said J.C. "The ride, sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, is in the formative stages, so Andrew and I will cover operational costs this year. Our goal is to raise funds and help build exposure for Jill's House."
To cheer on J.C. and Andrew and support Jill's House, click here.
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"Please keep up your good and important work! Breaks during the school week give us rest, but more importantly, they give our son the gift of independence from his parents and an opportunity to have sleepovers with peers that he would not otherwise get to experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
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Sunday, October 5
Each year Jill's House opens to the public. Even if you have toured the building before, bring a friend to introduce them to the miracle of Jill's House.
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Monday, October 13
This year's premier golf event will be held at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Be inspired and have a great day of fun while helping families raising children with special needs.
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Sunday, October 26
Support Team Jill's House and help the marathon and 10K runners raise funds to support courageous families and the inspiring children Jill's House serves.
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Give to Jill's House at Work!
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Make a lasting difference in the lives of families raising children with special needs when you participate in your employer's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), United Way (UW), or employee giving program. Your gift gives hundreds of families desperately needed rest and renewal through Jill's House.
There are three easy ways to give to Jill's House from your workplace.
Select:
1. CFC #22742;
2. UW #8244; or
3. Your own company's employee giving campaign.
For more information, contact your employer or Claire Waldrop at claire.waldrop@jillshouse.org or 703.639.5699.
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Jill's House | 703-639-5660
PO Box 9104
McLean, VA 22102
CFC #22742 - United Way #8244
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