Home for kids raising its profile

In 1908, a group of Johnstown women went to the city police in an attempt to reach out to homeless children.

The result was the Johnstown Christian Home Inc., which opened its doors in Moxham in December of that year.

Within two years, the home’s programs grew and organizers purchased property on Edson Avenue in the 8th Ward – where the home still operates today.

Executive Director Richard Uzelac says the Johnstown Christian Home is the best-kept secret in the region – and is doing great work.

“I’ve lived in Johnstown all my life, and I never knew such a home existed,” said Uzelac, who took on his role there in June 2008.

“It’s absolutely amazing how few people in the Johnstown community know there’s a group home here for children, and that it has been here for 102 years.”

The home’s administrators and board of directors are developing a plan to reduce that anonymity.

A Pittsburgh marketing firm – A.L. Brourman and Associates – has been hired to begin enhancing the home’s image leading up to a fundraising campaign later this year.

“We’re trying to help the organization move into the mainstream, so to speak,” said Mark Lynch, a senior vice president at A.L. Brourman. “The board is aggressively trying to revisit the organization’s mission and refocus its vision to continue to meet a need there in the Johns-town area.”

Lynch added: “They have to consider the question that all nonprofits need to consider: How can we continue to be meaningful?”

‘A place to stay’

The home was founded in the days before agencies such as the county-run Children and Youth Services.

The facility has its roots in the women’s temperance movement, Uzelac said.

“They would work closely with the Johnstown police department,” he said. “People would get stranded in Johnstown and need a place to stay.”

Today’s clientele are less likely to be stranded travelers, Uzelac said, and more likely to be young people from broken homes.

The home serves a 15-county area and has about 30 employees, Uzelac said.

The bulk of its funding comes through the state Department of Welfare.

The home, which includes three buildings on Edson Avenue, is licensed for 16 children – ages 10 through 17.

Currently, 11 girls and five boys are living there.

‘Breakdown in the family’

Uzelac said most young people who come to the home are referred by CYS or the juvenile courts.

Most of the residents fall into one of three categories: At-risk, homeless or adjudicated, Lynch said.

“Unless you have your head in the sand, you know that’s a lot of breakdown in the family,” he said. “In the two years I’ve been with Children’s, I’ve been shocked at what some of these kids have been through.”

He added: “They’re not necessarily problem kids. But they come from problem families.”

Uzelac said the state financial support doesn’t cover all of the home’s expenses.

“We actually get about $135 a day for each child we have,” he said. “But it costs us about $200 a day.”

Uzelac said the home’s leaders would like to expand its services along with creating greater awareness.

Possible future directives could include teen pregnancy counseling and prevention, and a bridge program for those who have turned 18 and are no longer eligible to stay at the home.

The bridge program, Uzelac said, would provide housing, job-skills training and related support.

“This would be a continuation of all these skills so we don’t have to put those kids out on the street,” Uzelac said. “It’s an area that needs to be addressed. We don’t like to talk about the situation where kids may have nowhere to turn.

“We know there are a lot of kids who become parents and who don’t have the basic skills. They want to do the right things, but they just don’t know how.”

“Aging out of the system is a huge problem, not just in Johnstown,” Lynch said. “The benefits stop when they reach 18. Yet, these kids are still fragile, still at risk. And we’re essentially throwing them to the wolves.”

‘It’s priceless’

Lynch said developing new programs at the Christian home is part of the broader effort to grow the facility’s reach and impact.

“They’re exploring a number of options, recognizing that the current model that they have in place is outdated,” Lynch said. “This organization is 100-plus years old. The culture has changed. The society has changed. But the need remains.”

The Christian Home of Johnstown is considering several fundraising directions: A capital campaign, an endowment campaign, a major gifts campaign – perhaps all three.

“These are all options for any nonprofit organization that is trying to redefine itself,” Lynch said.

Lynch said he has advised the home’s board to connect with school districts and other agencies that might be able to share resources and information.

“Maybe they need to think about not going it alone,” he said.

This year could bring a turning point for the home that has served Johnstown since 1908, Uzelac said.

“(A.L. Brourman) found in their initial visits to Johnstown that many people had never heard of the Johnstown Christian home,” Uzelac said.

“It’s hard enough to raise money these days. But it’s very hard when nobody knows about you and the good work that you do.”

Uzelac worked in the banking industry for 14 years. He also served as executive director of Johnstown Area Regional Industries from 1978-92.

“The satisfaction you get from working with these kids can’t be measured,” he said. “I often refer to my work as being like the MasterCard commercial: It’s priceless.”

“People think, ‘Why should I care?,’ ” Uzelac said. “Well, all you have to do is open up the newspaper and see the things that are happening in our communities. That’s why you should care.”

Chronology

Nov. 1, 1908: Home founded in city’s Moxham neighborhood by several local women working with Johnstown police to serve homeless children.

Dec. 10, 1908: Officially opens its doors with Bella Boyer serving as matron.

June 1910: Property purchased on Edson Avenue in the 8th Ward to accommodate expansion.

1911 and 1913: Adjacent lots purchased.

1964: Home licensed to operate as an Emergency Shelter Facility.

1981: Original buildings torn down; Fend Home built to house both boys and girls.

1991: New building purchased for expansion of programs.

1992: Houston House opened to house girls 15-18.

2008: Independent living options expanded.

Source: Christian Home of Johns-town Inc. website