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Vision Statement

 To offer an alluring, yet safe and rewarding environment for young adults as they make defining life choices; to provide strong affirmative influences, experiences, and opportunities for community involvement promoting positive attitudes, faith, humility, self-esteem, comradely, and respect for themselves as well as others; exhibiting evidence of the many benefits to making positive choices.  

Strategy

 Operated and monitored largely by caring volunteers who choose to lead by example, illustrating practices otherwise unobserved by many young adults.

We intend to seek out volunteers who will encourage and inspire members by sharing and including them in their own interests, hobbies, careers and talents.  With the guidance of these concerned, interactive adults, we mean to offer an exciting alternative to the negative influences so many are faced with daily..

We encourage volunteers to donate any amount of time which they have available to this cause.  Even a minimal amount of time scheduled on a regular basis will be appreciated and will certainly make a difference in someone’s life.  

 Our Story

Travis was a typical teen, or so we thought.  His friends called him “DICE”.  He wasn’t perfect (depending on who you ask), but he was genuine.

June of 2008, he became a graduate of J D Bassett High School.  Oh what a proud day for us!!  On October 3, 2008 he turned 19 years old.  Three short days later, on October 6 the most unbearable thought for a parent became a reality.  Our precious child lost his life.

   He was so funny, the joy of our life!  He kept us in stitches and constantly on the edge of our seats.  A love of animals kept him bringing home every stray creature he ran across.  I often thought maybe we should have called him Noah.  But this wasn’t Travis’ idea of a “cool” nickname.  In his early teens he developed a nickname on his own that he did like, “DICE”.  It was definitely “cool” and suited him well.  He explained what it meant to him.

Dedication

Integrity

Commitment

Extreme Experiences

How “cool” was that?!  I was impressed, as usual.  And so it was.  It stuck and he became known to his friends as “DICE”.  Not everyone knew the meaning of the name of course, but he knew, and as I said it suited him well.

  Dice date as far back as ancient times when they were made from bones or sticks.  Dice are not used only for gaming, but as symbols of fate and randomness of gifts of fate.  In both positive and negative ways, dice represent chance.  To “roll the dice” is to take a chance or try your luck.

 We continue to learn so much about Travis.  You would think that as parents we should know all there is to know about our child, but the truth is we didn’t.  It may come as a surprise to some, but kids do not tell parents everything. Actually at a certain age they stop telling us anything.  Losing a child is I believe the most devastating thing that could possibly happen to anyone.  It felt like the end of the world.  However, as time passed we began to see the result of Travis’ Dedication to his friends.  They seemed to be “watching over” us.  They continued to call and visit on a daily basis.  They gathered and supported each other as they supported us. They were grieving as much as we were. It appeared they had lost their “Leader of the Pack” and out of respect, they were standing in for him. 

Now I know of no teen (ours was no exception) who “likes” to work.  But even months later with visible Integrity, these teens were calling and offering to help with our daily chores, even on the farm. WOW!  

Who are these people?  They are amazing!  No teen wants to hang out with someone’s PARENTS, especially grieving parents.  That is ludicrous.  They were gaining nothing from us.  We had given away none of his belongings.  We had not paid the first cent for their time or effort.  But they were still Committed to us.  Why? 

I began studying these friends of Travis’.  I remembered how he met and came to know each one that I was familiar with.  It seemed there had been a pattern throughout his short life that I had somehow overlooked.  Most of these friends had come from broken homes and absentee families.  I had become so focused on my own daily obligations with my job, the laundry, dishes, meals, homework, and bills that I was absolutely blinded to the important Role my son was playing in these friends’ lives.  He was to some, the only stable, unconditional part of their life. 

As parents, we were concerned that at times Travis was being taken advantage of.  He was spending so much time taking care of others that he had no time for himself.    Not once in his entire life can I recall him putting himself or his own needs before someone else. What a testimony!  I wonder if this was a conscience decision that he made.  If so, how did he become so disciplined to consistently stick to it?  Or was it by some divine intervention, a part of his genetic heredity?  I guess it doesn’t matter why he was so completely selfless.  What does matter is that it was so evident to others that it made a difference.  We are so very proud of him!!

It may sound as though I am idolizing Travis.  That is not my intent.  Believe me, Travis may have earned a halo but he did not inherit one.  He was more than a handful at times.  He was all boy.  He spent much of his time trying to give me a heart attack.  The more outrageous stunt he pulled and the bigger jolt I took from it, the better he liked it. For example: hiding in the toy box, pretend vomit, jumping concrete doorsteps in his walker…..it only got worse as he got older…..At one point we thought he would get barred from kindergarten.  It continued….refusing to come off a snow covered roof in the winter and skateboarding off the roof in summer, and snakes in jars delicately place in my curio cabinet.  When I was getting dressed for work and couldn’t find my deodorant or hairspray I soon learned to look outside on the porch.  He used it as “ammo” for his potato launcher.  I never knew what to expect.  Thus Extreme Experiences, I suppose. 

     We have decided to commit to continuing and expanding Travis’ mission in life.  We see a need for a place for teens to gather in our community, a place where they feel safe and secure. A place for psychological and emotional peace and rest….a place they more than welcome, but needed; a home of sorts, one they contribute to and work for.  

     The last “chance” that Travis took was not one worth the risk.  In short:

There is an urgent need for this mission. It is one definitely worth while.  Though it is a complete personal walk of faith for us, we know our young adults of this community are worth the effort and worth a risk that we are willing to invest in.  They are our future.

Some chances are not worth taking……….Some are.