A call came to Broyhill Home requesting a tour of Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH) western campus. Groups often visit the campus: Church groups, student groups and community groups take time to learn more about the ministry located in Clyde. This group, however, was different. It was comprised of members of Western Carolina University’s (WCU) Leadership Academy, the Women in Leadership Academy, and other campus leaders including WCU Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alison Morrison-Shetlar and Lowell Davis, WCU’s Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success.
According to Morrison-Shetlar, it was an easy decision to include a visit to Broyhill Home as part of the university’s leadership program. She said the HOMEBASE partnership between WCU and BCH has been an opportunity for both organizations to learn more about the other. HOMEBASE is the new ministry to college students who are former residential care and foster youth, orphans, emancipated youth, or homeless students. HOMEBASE operates on the WCU campus in Cullowhee.
Morrison-Shetlar said this is the fourth year for the leadership program. As part of each year’s curriculum, field trips are planned to introduce WCU leaders to community partners.
“We provide care for some of the most wonderful boys and girls you could ever imagine meeting,” BCH’s statewide child/residential services director and Broyhill Home’s director of residential services Linda Morgan said to the group. “Children find loving care at Broyhill Home. And it takes people like you who love children and support BCH for us to be successful.”
The visiting WCU leaders learned that the children are involved in the Haywood County community through school, sports and church activities. The group brought food and needed dry goods to be used at the campus.
Learn more about the many services and 22 locations where BCH serves children and families at www.bchfamily.org