December 14th Hearing Postponed

PLEASE BE ADVISED that according to Attorney General, Drew Edmondson's office, the court hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday, December 14th, has officially been POSTPONED. The new hearing date is To Be Announced and we will do our best to inform you as soon as the Judge has set and notified us of the resheduled Court Hearing.

Basically, this means that the Temporary Restraining Order will remain in effect until both parties are heard by the court. Therefore, we are to conduct "business as usual" until further notice from the Attorney General's office.

Thanks so much to all of you for your ongoing support!

Positive Poem by Taylor

I want to share with you a Poem by one of our girls, it says it all - Pleading to save her Home.

Positive Poem

My home is the best,
It is not like the rest,
It's where I want to be.
Its not forever,
Just until I'm 18,
82 years and too many tears
44 kids, who's bed they will take,
Where will we be?
Think of what my home has done
for all my brothers and sisters.
Just stop and think,
In 6 weeks my home will be empty

By Taylor
How can we sleep or feel good about our day, if we do not fight for these kids and other children just wanting a home. Save the American Legion Children's Home, I am fighting - how about you? --Diane Beekman

We Are Thankful For Your Help!

Dear Friends of the American Legion Children's Home,

We are so grateful for your support! Thank you for the letters, emails and Facebook postings. Thank you for the inspired media coverage, news stories and letters to Editors. Thank you for all the red bows and signs around our community. Thank you for standing in the cold at American Legion District Meetings and decorating your cars in support of our children. Thank you for designing, writing, copying, collating, addressing and mailing hundreds of documents and fielding thousands of phone calls. Most especially we thank you for your prayers. We could not enter this season of Thanksgiving and Advent without letting you know how much we appreciate you and how much hope you have given us. We know we are not in this cause alone! We thought you would like to know the results of your many efforts:

· Children's Home Angels has garnered more than 2,300 members from all across the nation, in less than three weeks.
· Over 400 letters of support have been forwarded to the American Legion Oklahoma Department Executive Committee.
· Two law firms have stepped forward to assist us, pro bono.
· On Tuesday, November 23rd, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office filed and Kay County Judge D.W. Boyd granted a Temporary Restraining Order on any disposition of Children's Home property or assets.
· Legionnaires and Auxiliary members from many states are expressing their concern and support to their leaders.
· Direct descendents of our original benefactor, E.W. Marland, are standing with us! They become the heirs of the ALCH property should it cease to exist as a childcare facility. They were moved by your letters and show of support and by the letters of three of our kids who wrote to them, asking them to save the only safe and loving home they have ever known. The Marland heirs wish to see the campus continue as a public charitable home for neglected and abused children.

And, here's what you can continue to do to stay in the fight,

· If you haven't seen a news account in your local paper or on your TV station, send letters to your editors with your concerns. We have fact sheets and other documents to help you craft your comments, should you wish.
· Send copies of your letters to editors to the savethechildrenshomeangels@yahoo.com.
· Expand our network by recruiting your friends and neighbors to our Facebook cause page Save the Children’s Home Angels.
· Visit our website www.savethelegionkids.com

In other words, keep those posts, emails and letters coming, folks! We appreciate you more than words can express and hope you and your family enjoy a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Diane Beekman - Becky Davis - Amanda Doran - Tina Clonts
Children's Home Angels Founders

KOKH FOX 25 :: Top Stories - Rally in support of children's home

Here's a video of the informational meeting on Sunday and some of the latest information:

KOKH FOX 25 :: Top Stories - Rally in support of children's home

ALCH Press Release Packet

This is a packet with some information already released and new information, including more contact details of the ALCH board who made the decision to close the Children's Home.  Definitely a MUST read!

Table of Contents:


Press Release............................................ 1

Letter to Oklahoma Attorney General Edmondson .... 4


About the American Legion Children’s Home..... 6

Fact Sheet ................................................... 7

Letter from the American Legion of Oklahoma ..... 8

Letter from AL National Commander ... 9

Letter from AL National Adjutant .......... 10

Letter to Friends of ALCH ........ 11

Letters from Supporters ..... 13

View the Press Release Packet Here

What Happened in Woodward on Saturday

As a legionnaire, Senator Myers was given some time on the agenda for the American Legion to speak about the American Legion Childrens Home. What actually happened was much different:

Red Cross Letter - Call To Action

As many of you know, the American Legion Children’s Home has been scheduled to close as of December 31, 2010.

The Board in OKC who have made this decision say it’s because of financial burden. 

·        Our home is financially stable (financials can be requested)

·        90% of our home’s budget comes from OKDHS

·        Individual Am Legion Posts & Units in OK do donate to our home but provide less than 3% of last year’s budget

·        None of the funding is received from the OK American Legion Headquarters.

·        Local businesses, organizations, churches, and individuals sponsor our children.

The Board also claims that the children are a liability

·        Our Children’s Home provides liability insurance for the Officers and Board of Directors

·        Yes, there is a liability to help people.  What if all organizations & churches close because of this reason?  Where would we be then?

It has been said that our Home is a black-eye to our community

·        What would happen if we closed all businesses, organizations, and groups who were considered “black-eyes” in our community?

·        What if we kicked out all the individuals who were considered a disgrace to our community?  Is that really the community you want to live in?

It is said that our children are not “model citizens” but isn’t it our responsibility to help them become that way?  Isn’t that one reason why E. W. Marland opened the home in 1928? To give a place filled with love to our children who are homeless?

Please help us save our children! You may be asking what you, as an individual, can do?

·        Forward this email to everyone in your address book.

·        Choose a two or three day window to paralyze the state American Legion office by having multiple people call and/or email to protest the closing. (emails & phone numbers are attached to this email.)

·        Contact American Legion Posts throughout Oklahoma, talking with their commanders about the closing, the timing of it, and the Board’s refusal to even grant an extension so that our children can have a Christmas and our Seniors can graduate with their class in May.

·        Send a press release about the closing to every newspaper, news station and radio station.

·        Assist with letter writing campaigns for the Angels (savethechildrenshomeangels@yahoo.com)

·        Christmas Party Fundraiser/Project for our children and staff’s children.

·        Attend the forum for our Home on Sunday, November 21^st @ 2:00pm in the Poncan Theatre. (in 1928 28,000 individuals were on hand to celebrate the opening of our Home! Please let’s pack the Poncan and close Grand Ave with thousands of concern citizens and supporters.)

·        Wear a Red Ribbon (available at the Ponca City Chamber office and at the forum.)

I believe that all children deserve a home.  Our home began as a home for veteran’s children but has expanded to provide for abused and deprived children, who for various reasons, have families unable to care for them or have no family at all.  Where will our children go if the American Legion Board closes our home?

Please consider helping!

Tamie Barnes

Veterans and Native Americans

Friends of the Children's Home

 

The American Legion Oklahoma Department Executive Committee's refusal to enter into discussions to extend the ALCH closing deadline will have an immediate and perilous effect on biological brothers and sisters, our Native American children and some veterans.  Here's how:

• Several Native American children and staff members are involved with Ponca Tribe veterans and elders in learning and pursuing their native traditions--an emotionally healing and important step in the lives of these children.  At a recent Ponca Gourd Dance Society event in White Eagle honoring orphans, tribal elders, also veterans, highly praised ALCH and one of our young residents who was participating in the event.  The elders and veterans (and members of the Alfred Little Standing Buffalo American Legion Post 38) discussed publicly and at length, the closing of ALCH and asked all Native American veterans to do all in their power to halt this action.
• Are you aware that without the extension a veteran  who resides on the campus with his family will be left homeless at Christmastime?
• Are you aware that without the extension, three other veteran staff members will lose their jobs, also at Christmas?
• Are you aware that we have three sets of brothers and sisters who will be separated from each other at Christmas?

The Executive Committee received a non-confrontational, relatively simple idea for extending the deadline without harmful effects to the Oklahoma Department of the American Legion.  What is their rush?  Why would an organization dedicated to improving the lives of veterans in fact cause great harm to four of its own, not to mention the separation of biological siblings and Native American children connecting to their ethnic roots and healing, perhaps for the first time in their young but turbulent lives?

 

Please keep the pressure on the Oklahoma Department Executive Committee for a fair hearing!

 

Gary G. Davis

ALCH Mentor

Member, Ponca Gourd Dance Society

Interview with Senator David Myers about the American Legion Children's Home

Senator Myers explains what has happened with the ALCH up to this point:

Letter in Support of the ALCH

As an advocate for children and former Child Protective Services Worker,  I have seen firsthand the important role of the American Legion Children's Home in the improvement of life's circumstances for children from difficult places.  To me ALCH is a grand example of "no child left behind" because the ALCH allows children to reach their potential as citizens of this great nation when others may abandon and dismiss them.

Dear Mr. Kellerman . . .

Mr. Kellerman,

I once again woke up very very angry this morning.  I just am still so shocked about the decision to close the nations only American Legion Children's Home.  I then began to wonder about your own children and do they know the kind of American Veteran you are?

"You Don't Know What You're Doing"

Angels were all over Oklahoma this weekend looking for answers, we should have a post reporting back about the Legion meeting in Woodward which was well attended by supporters soon, but let me share my personal experience of trying to get answers on Friday.

From an employee at the ALCH

Anyone who works with children can say that it is not for a paycheck. We do it because we believe in raising and serving the next generation of individuals who will shape and defend our country. We do it because we believe that our children are our future and our legacy.

A Note From ALCH Resident Falicia

Here at my home I see my family in groups. Our parent figures (that others see as staff or faculty) teach us how to overcome our anger, our fear and our past. And not only that, all of them put all of their outside problems to use to help us, and to show us that there is still hope for us to survive the real world. No matter how hard life is, there’s still hope for life, love and peace.

The Letter Posted on the ALCH website

This is a note that is posted on the ALCH website:

October 28, 2010

Dear Friends,

We are both saddened and shocked to inform you that on Sunday, October the 24th the Department Executive Committee of the American Legion of Oklahoma and also the Board of the American Legion Children's Home voted to close this Children's Home on December the 31st, 2010. The reasons cited for closing the home were
liabilities, recent financial cuts by DHS and that the children in our Home are not all veteran's children which was the original mission of the Home.

News 9 Story on The American Legion Children's Home Closing