November 2002 - Hilary Price

Our wee boys are beautifully settled…. What a joy to see. Off to daycare three mornings a week, play centre one morning, and now it’s December they’re off to Christmas parties and similar treats.

The older boys are doing well but there have been some huge challenges with one child displaying inappropriate behavior both in school and at home – resulting in angry episodes and stand-downs at school.

We have also faced significant challenges surrounding dynamics within the home and how to manage the behavior of children who have known trauma, demonstrate attachment disorders and who don’t trust adults. It is hard to imagine how any nuclear family would cope without the extra support Homes of Hope provides.

Apart from the continued circuit of public speaking highlighting the plight of children at risk in New Zealand and the Homes of Hope solution, a major focus this month has been developing strategies for 2004 and beyond.

I have spent many hours working on the financial and marketing side of the business, preparing proposals for corporate sponsorship - which has entailed examining our growth strategy. This is both exciting and challenging as we now plan to open a second Tauranga home in April.

It is thought that the second home will offer support care to families being re-united, as this is a high priority area of need. Later into 2004 we also intend to establish a village development in Auckland. So as you can see, significant developments at Homes of Hope - watch this space!

The month ended with two vocal concerts and one dance/drama production being staged in Tauranga in aid of Homes of Hope. This reflects the fantastic community response we’ve had - and has been a huge encouragement for us to see talent being shared for the benefit of children in need. What a way to go!

Hilary

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