Anna shares family's love for children

For 15-year-old Anna Ungerer, an in-person community service project was not an option. The coronavirus pandemic has made high school students rethink how to do many things––both in the classroom and out. Union Academy Charter School in Monroe, where Anna attends, directs students at every grade level to perform community service. Normally, Anna has found projects with a strong face-to-face component. Her next project would be different.

“I needed a project I could do from the safety of my home, and I wanted to help other teens who struggle,” Anna says. “My mom and I talked about possibilities and she thought about Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH).”

Anna’s parents, Susanne and Gerhard Ungerer, are BCH supporters. Susanne is the daughter of former BCH Trustee and former staff member Gene Herrell.

“I grew up loving the Children’s Homes,” Susanne says. “When Dad was a trustee, we visited campuses and I learned as a child the importance of the ministry. Baptists have a strong commitment to serving hurting children. Like my parents, my husband and I are committed to helping anyway we can.”

Anna, her mom and dad, and three sisters attend Shiloh Baptist Church in their hometown.

“I decided to make protective masks for the girls and boys at BCH’s wilderness camps to use during the pandemic,” she says––then smiles. “But first, I had to learn to sew.”