The St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home in East Chicago is a nonprofit home for children in crisis that has been helping local kids for 104 years. The home is run by the Carmelite Sisters who pride themselves on caring for and rehabilitating children before reuniting them with their families.
The Carmelite Home cares for children from birth to age 18. The children stay as long as they need care. They all continue to attend the schools they were at before entering the home, which is something many similar organizations do not allow.
While at home, the kids receive medical care and counseling, in addition to other treatments and skills taught by the variety of programs offered at the home. The Sisters ensure that each child has his or her unique needs met.
The home is split up into multiple units that cater to children of specific age groups. The Maria Teresa Tauscher Center services the infants and toddlers that come to the home. The center is staffed by nuns 24/7 to provide the care this group needs. There are also nurses who work in this wing to ensure that all of the babies’ medical needs are met.
The Holy Innocents Center houses boys from preschool to age 12. These high-energy children are provided with plenty of activities after school.
Grade school-aged girls are part of a group called ‘Sunbeams’. They, too, are set up with group and individual activities to help them learn and grow during their time at the home.
Finally, the high school-aged girls at the home are known as the ‘VIPs’. They participate in programs that help to teach them independent living skills, including money management, goal setting, cooking, shopping and banking. If a teenage girl enters the Carmelite Home while pregnant, she will receive a room in the Maternal Care wing where she can talk to nurses and learn about childcare.
The Carmelite Home receives some state money, but it is not nearly enough to properly care for the 88 children who currently live there. Fundraising events, grants given by local organizations like the Foundations of East Chicago (FEC) and donations from individuals are what keep the home running. To make a contribution to the home, visit this webpage.
To learn more about what the Carmelite Home does, visit www.FoundationsEC.org.
Photo taken from www.carmelitehome.org
