Serving as an actual home for more than a dozen youth at any given time, The Chase Home often relies on outside help to make repairs, a situation that recently took place with NorthEast Electrical. “Our dining room was in desperate need of new fixtures, which is where NorthEast Electrical stepped in,” said Craig Dennis, Operations Director at The Chase Home. “John Ricci on our Board plays basketball with some people from NorthEast Electrical who donated the fixtures, and another Board member, Ted Alex, found a way to get someone to install them.”
The end result, according to The Chase Home Executive Director Meme Wheeler, is more than a cosmetic upgrade. “This is home for kids and youth, so it’s important we do all we can to create a comfortable, cozy environment for them,” she said. “The kids know when the community pitches in to help them, so a project like this can have a subtle, but profound, impact on their well-being.”
“The kids know when the community pitches in to help them, so a project like this can have a subtle, but profound, impact on their well-being.”
- Meme Wheeler, Executive Director
Services at The Chase Home range from clinical and therapeutic to educational and vocational. Whereas up to 15 kids live at The Chase Home at any given time, the nonprofit agency serves far more individuals in the community. “Some people still think we operate some sort of orphanage, which hasn’t been the case in decades,” said Wheeler. “Our focus is on reunifying the youth in our care with their families or helping them develop skills and strategies to best prepare for your adulthood and independent living.”
Dennis agreed and said that sometimes, however, what is needed are “new lights in the dining room.” “The little things are the things kids often remember more than anything else,” he said. “We are thankful for the efforts of NorthEast Electrical to help brighten the lives of our kids.”