Megan Davis
McDonald County Press [email protected]
Six months ago, Jacqueline Payerli was trudging through the paperwork required to found a public charity.
She had no secured funding, an ever changing board of trustees, and nowhere to house the program -- if and when it was approved. What she did have was a dream to begin rebuilding broken families and the unwavering passion integral to bringing that dream to fruition.
Tree of Life Family Advocacy Center is now a federally recognized 501(c)(3) charity with almost a dozen board members and a permanent location at 209 N. Valley St., Suite 100, in Neosho. The location will allow it to serve McDonald, Newton and Jasper counties.
Robert Beltran heard about ToLFAC from his probation officer, who thought mentors with the program could help secure transportation to his meetings. Beltran lives in Neosho but travels to McDonald County regularly to attend court proceedings, counseling, and visit his five children. This poses an obstacle for him because he has no reliable transportation.
"Sometimes I'd hitch-hike and sometimes I'd walk," Beltran said. Neither makes punctuality easy, he pointed out.
After meeting with his mentor, he said things quickly blossomed and soon he found himself with an arsenal of services that he didn't even realize were available to him.
"This is my second day meeting with them and they've already helped me out so much. They gave me tons of information, everything I needed to know," he said. "It really does feel like they're willing to go that extra mile."
Beltran is the first individual that the program has been able to assist because the board is still working to secure grants and raise money.
"Like an answer to a prayer," Payerli said she discovered the Talkington Foundation Recovery Center. That's where ToLFAC landed, thanks to the low-rent offices. The location offers resources that promote family relationship education and recovery within the community.
The office is equipped with a private conference room for legal proceedings and access to a full-service kitchen that Payerli hopes families will take advantage of during supervised meetings.
The building also houses the drug testing agency utilized by Children's Services and facilitates various addiction recovery group meetings. By collaborating with the programs already offered within the Talkington Foundation building, ToLFAC can effectively and efficiently provide families access to a multitude of services and individuals willing to help them overcome negative habits from their past and create positive ones for their future.
According to Payerli, oftentimes the parents come from a family history of foster care and addiction themselves and may not be equipped with the knowledge or support they need to break the cycle. ToLFAC helps guide these families through the family court system and works with them to ensure they are provided the tools needed to heal and reunite family members, rather than re-home them.
The program works in conjunction with Children's Division and the family to represent the best interests of all the members -- creating a system of checks and balances within the family court system to help hold all involved parties accountable.
Mentors with ToLFAC provide parents with the knowledge they need to form a healthy family dynamic as well as transportation to and from court proceedings, visitations, parenting classes, or recovery group meetings. Advocates will also work to see that the children, if placed in foster care, are given to the next-of-kin when possible, are not moved out of their school districts, and are receiving the care they deserve.
While ToLFAC is on its feet, the board is constantly looking for money.
Their next fund-raising event -- The Polar Dash Family 5k -- will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, on the Neosho Golf Course located at 1850 Clubhouse Road. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. with an entry fee of $30 on race day or register online at https://runsignup.com/Race/MO/Neosho/PolarDash5k. There will also be a Best Winter Costume Contest.
Payerli also asks that anyone who could benefit from this program contact her at 479-899-7450. Even if ToLFAC can't currently take on the case, increased demand will help illustrate just how beneficial the program could be to the community and hopefully qualify the program for additional aid. They are also in the market for a passenger van to transport families to and from appointments. Any information or donations related to this cause can also be channelled through Payerli at the above number.
General News on 01/21/2016