{"id":147653,"date":"2025-03-15T16:32:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T21:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=147653"},"modified":"2025-03-15T16:32:07","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T21:32:07","slug":"celebrating-130-years-of-hope-palmer-home-for-children-honors-a-legacy-of-care-and-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/celebrating-130-years-of-hope-palmer-home-for-children-honors-a-legacy-of-care-and-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating 130 Years of Hope: Palmer Home for Children Honors a Legacy of Care and Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>For 130 years, Palmer Home has transformed the lives of children and families\u2014and the work continues.<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For 130 years,<strong> Palmer Home for Children<\/strong> has been a place where hope begins. When children face neglect, trauma, or uncertainty, Palmer Home provides safe homes, loving care, and the support they need to heal and thrive. Generation after generation, hope has been the constant\u2014a guiding light for children and families in their darkest moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the organization marks this milestone in March 2025, it is launching a year-long &#8220;130 Years of Hope&#8221; campaign to celebrate its legacy and create new opportunities to serve children for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor over a century, Palmer Home has stood in the gap for children and families facing life\u2019s hardest challenges\u2014and that mission continues today,\u201d said <strong>Drake Bassett<\/strong>, CEO of Palmer Home for Children. \u201cWe have navigated two different centuries, survived world wars and the Great Depression, and remained steadfast in our purpose: to provide stability, care, and hope for children affected by circumstances beyond their control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Legacy of Evolving Care<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Founded in <strong>Columbus, Mississippi<\/strong>, in 1895, Palmer Home began as a safe haven for orphaned children, providing care and shelter to those in need. Over time, as the challenges of children and families changed, so did Palmer Home, evolving its mission<strong> <\/strong>to meet growing, complex needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Palmer Home serves children through a range of programs, including residential care, foster care placement, transitional support for young adults, and its Whole Child Initiative, which equips caregivers, educators, and organizations with trauma-informed training to create nurturing environments where children can heal, grow, and thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024 alone, Palmer Home served 268 children across 14 states, providing the care and stability they needed to move forward. Through its programs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>6 children were reunited with their biological families<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3 high school students and 2 college students graduated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tutors provided 208 hours of academic support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children received 565 hours of therapy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Palmer Home prioritizes family preservation and reunification whenever possible, working closely with biological families to create safe and stable homes. In 2024, one child was adopted into a permanent, loving home when reunification was not an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many children today face barriers to stability, from unsafe housing and educational struggles to the long-term effects of trauma. Without support, young adults aging out of care often experience homelessness, unemployment, or uncertainty about their future. Palmer Home remains committed to filling these gaps, ensuring that every child receives stability, guidance, and a strong foundation for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor Palmer Home, it has always been about introducing hope into the lives of struggling families,\u201d Bassett said. \u201cWhat we provide is more than care\u2014it\u2019s an opportunity for families to see a path forward. And for many, that\u2019s what hope is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Join the Celebration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On March 13, Palmer Home will officially launch its 130th Anniversary Campaign, beginning with the release of a special video message from Drake Bassett, reflecting on the organization\u2019s history, impact, and vision for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the year, Palmer Home will provide opportunities for the community to engage, give, and celebrate this milestone together. The campaign will include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Storytelling initiatives that highlight real stories of transformation from children, families, and supporters, since Palmer Home\u2019s founding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Community-driven giving opportunities, empowering individuals to be part of Palmer Home\u2019s next chapter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReaching 130 years is not just a celebration of the past\u2014it\u2019s a commitment to the future,\u201d Bassett said. \u201cTogether with our community, we can continue to create stories of healing, hope, and transformation for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Support<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a privately funded nonprofit, 100% of donations go directly to operational costs, ensuring children receive the housing, education, counseling, and care they need. Every gift\u2014large or small\u2014helps provide food, shelter, therapy, and educational support for children in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be part of Palmer Home\u2019s 130 Years of Hope, donate today at<a href=\"https:\/\/palmerhome.org\/donate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> palmerhome.org\/donate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To stay in touch with Palmer Home\u2019s 130th anniversary celebration, follow Palmer Home for Children on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PalmerHome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/palmerhomems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Palmer Home for Children<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palmer Home for Children is a privately funded, nonprofit organization that has provided superior care to vulnerable children for 130 years. Palmer Home provides Campus Care, Foster Care, Family Care and Transitional Care to meet the specific needs of each child and family. The <em>Whole Child Initiative, <\/em>Palmer Home\u2019s approach to care, emphasizes child development by focusing on five components: social wellbeing, physical development, emotional healing, educational support, and spiritual growth. For more information, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/stats.nwe.io\/x\/html?final=aHR0cHM6Ly91cmwuZW1haWxwcm90ZWN0aW9uLmxpbmsvP2JqeEJPbzIzVFFZLXdIY0JUMGQ5Sld0ck9wY2tkOVF3ejlZS20yX20xSWoyNlB6MFYwQUNIbW00Y2pNOHdIYU15bXB2YjJ6ZHBHUDN6TmZsTm5rYVY5Z35-&amp;sig=HPfK5aQQVS-3qCaSwq9uzYdPNaGzJwtHu--MBSERPl9QwkoFGpATw0iWKLjMWBYpIKkdY4XI1FtmB_4fA7npnA&amp;hit%2Csum=WyIyc3hxNHgiLCIyc3hxNHkiLCIyc3hxNHAiXQ\">www.palmerhome.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For 130 years, Palmer Home has transformed the lives of children and families\u2014and the work continues. For 130<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":147657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17316],"tags":[31381,5],"class_list":["post-147653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mississippi","tag-drake-bassett","tag-mississippi"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Palmer-Home-copy.jpg?fit=1920%2C1408&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147658,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147653\/revisions\/147658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}