Youth-focused nonprofit has children Growing Up Greene
Last winter, the team at Growing Up Greene made some big changes to make room for new programs and expansion.
The nonprofit focuses on improving the lives of children in the county. Not only are there volunteers advocating for youth in the court system, they have a new member on staff.
“Coalbie is our child therapy dog,” said Aaron Houser, executive director. “She started as a part of our program in December of 2024. She’s very popular, but the impact we’re seeing her make on the kids is honestly above and beyond any of our expectations. We knew it would help, but I don’t think anyone imagined the difference she would make for the kids who have to go to court.”
Coalbie is the theme and title of a new children’s book the Growing Up Greene staff has published.
When children are taken from the home, they are often in need of clean clothing, a hot meal, a shower or simply a calming activity.
The experience is often traumatic and the upheaval can cause even more distress.
“Coalbie,” available on Amazon, was one way to help children understand the child welfare system and the world they find themselves in.
“We looked for a couple of years for a book that would serve that purpose and none of them really addressed what we wanted them to, so we wrote and published our own,” Houser said.
They didn’t stop at publishing the book.
The staff also created an emergency overnight housing space in their office – a house built in the 1800s.
Prior to this year, children would be taken to the local Child and Youth Services (CYS) office. They might wait there for a few hours or even stay overnight in a hotel as staff called multiple foster homes, searching for a placement.
“We took two rooms and turned one into a living room and the other into a bedroom that can sleep up to seven, if necessary. The kitchen has an emergency clothing locker, including shoes, and the bathroom was converted to include a stand-up shower,” Houser said.
Now, CYS can use the space at Growing Up Greene to supervise children overnight.
“They can grab a book from the library, have quiet time in the living room, put a movie on the big screen and eat popcorn or lay down in a warm bed with a DVD player running until they fall asleep,” Houser said. “They have the ability to get cleaned up, it provides distraction and gives the kids options.”
The need is great and as one of the few child-centered charities in Greene County, staff at Growing Up Greene are determined to do everything they can to make the community better.
One way they did that is through their winter gear distribution. This year marked their fifth. On Nov. 30, members of the nonprofit attended Christmas on High Street in Waynesburg and passed out coats, boots, hats, gloves, hoodies, T-shirts and pajamas to more than 500 children.
“We can always use donations of new and gently used winter gear items, and if the family missed the Waynesburg event on the 30th, they are welcome to call us and schedule a pickup,” Houser said.
Volunteers are needed and donations go a long way toward providing care for children in need.
Visit https://www.growingupgreene.org/ for more information.