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!

Watch Mike share his story about serving at Jill's House.

"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."

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.