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This article appeared in The Herald Coaster, December 1999
The Herald Coaster, December 1999
Just about everyone has heard of Jacob’s Ladder. The biblical story, in Genesis 28, relates Jacob’s dream in which he sees angels continually walking up and down a ladder extended from Earth to Heaven. God promised Jacob in that vision that he would protect him and bring him back to a safe place. Such a promise is what Jacob’s House in Rosenberg is all about.
The Facility works hand in hand with The Garden, Fort Bend County’s only homeless/transitional living facility. Located on Eighth Street in Rosenberg, Jacob’s House provided a safe haven for children who are abandoned or have been exposed to drugs. Sometimes the children are found temporary homes; sometimes their placement with loving families is permanent.
Jacob’s House, The Garden Homeless Shelter, and a facility for the disabled citizens. Often, children are assisted by Jacob’s House volunteers while their parents reside at The Garden or are undergoing drug rehabilitation therapy at another facility.
"A primary focus of Jacob’s House is involving the family in the development of their children, if possible." says Jacob’s House executive director Penny Robichaux. However, she adds the reality is that all too often that scenario is simply not feasible.
In order to help the children at Jacob’s House, Robichaux says, her organization quickly learned that they "had to go beyond food, shelter and clothing -- we had to put lives straight. We have a responsibility to love, nurture, and educate these lives to be complete -- physically, mentally, spiritually, socially and financially."
In an effort to do just that, families who are interested in helping Jacob’s House’s children by taking them into their homes are required to fill out detailed applications and pass two in depth interviews as well as a complete background check before they are granted guardianship of the youngsters. In addition to home, familial, religious, financial and medical information, prospective rescue families are required to provide their personal opinions of a variety of subjects and elucidate on why they want to be rescue families.
Volunteer Tracey Pina explains, "We work on a much smaller scale and more personal level than Children’s Protective Services. In my opinion, Jacob's House is a better alternative. Jacob’s House doesn’t just make sure the families who are interested in taking in these children are financially sound, they want to look at the entire family - work history, whether or not they attend church regularly; everything from the dates of most resent physical exams to whether any foreign languages are spoken in the home."
Jacob’s House is in constant need of baby goods, car seats, strollers, cribs and mattresses, baby Motrin, blankets and toys.
In order to help provide them with the latter, as well as books and necessities, Pina, she is in charge of a fund raising event for Jacob’s House and she is a Discovery Toys representative, working with Jacob’s House by holding an open house from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday in the lobby of the Pecan Grove Plantation clubhouse. On that date, people are asked to bring donations and may purchase educational toys for Jacob’s House children. With purchases, free toys are given and those items can be turned into cash for Jacob’s House. Whether the purchases are for people’s own children or specifically for Jacob’s House, the free toys can still be turned into cash for that organization.
"We’re also reaching out to the community for cash donations," Pina says, "and for the everyday things kids need."
She explains that Jacob’s House is not funded by grants and says that facility is "dedicated to serving Fort Bend and Southwest Harris County to provide equal access to everyone."
Often adults who are residents of The Garden have children needing the services of Jacob’s House while in treatment programs or those who require long term hospitalization for a medical condition. The Garden has specific rules that must be followed in order for its residents to remain there. If addicted to drugs, they must participate in a treatment program. If the rules are not adhered to by the residents, they are asked to leave, however. Their children are welcome to remain in Jacob’s House.
The commitment rescue families make is compelling and must be well thought out because they must be willing to accept the children for anywhere from a matter of hours to a lifetime.
"The things they have been able to do at Jacob’s House are just incredible," Pina says. She plans to form a committee for regular fund raising events on a larger scale, as there are many needs in this community for children of all ages. "We want to offer all types of opportunities in which anyone could participate and donate to this worthwhile project. Volunteers are always needed and Pina says, "They can do a multitude of different things - from lending a hand at one of the homes to helping with fund raising efforts.
Our goal is to acquire a local shopping center and open a 24 hour "Safe Zone" where children can meet in a wholesome enviroment as well as those who need to get help -- from abuse to trouble they have found themselves in. It will be a place with counselors volunteering and law enforcement officers making a difference before a youngster goes too far. There is much more to this center but that is another story altogether.
Robichaux says Jacob’s House’s directive is simple, and in order to achieve their goals for the infants and children they help, "We have to close our minds to their past and open our eyes to their future until they have and believe in a future."
"Let the little children come unto me -- for to such as these belongs the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 19:14
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