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‘Girl’s In Trouble; Can You Help?’KIMTOIt s SO N SitinuI of Ihr**!* stories on plight lt;»f unwed iiiuI hris in Porter lt;minty .uni assistant f (In ' reteixe al Bethesda Honif in \ alpitr.iisomember churches of tin* (ion elal Xssoeiahon nl Baptist Churches iGARBCi .uni related independent churchesrenoxat ion, and in ihr long run, a house hui It |() 11„.specifications desired would Iteltor Id the needBy HOIt III VI»V“My daughter is in trouble h there something you can do some way you can help us Questions like this from parents prompted tin Rex Frnesl Francis, lounder of the Baptist Children s Home and the Hex Donald Worth now executive director of the home to send a questlonaire to theThe response was over whefmmgly favorable, and in IW7 the Hex William Anderson liegan researching the needs and requirements ol a maternity home establishing the policies on which the Betht'sda Home operatesAfter looking over a few houses in Valparaiso, it was decided that building would be better, since the only houses available required too muchin Hit' summer o! tntiK work was begun on a facility on \ alparaiso street The building was completed in September, and the lust applicants ftntk up residence shortly alter the dedication cermonies in November of that xearin Valparaiso loi some time walling for the facility to open I lie first child born to a girl residing at Bethesda was born m late Nmember |%h The mother of the child decided to keep her child Since then, nearly 70 girls have passed through the Bethesda HomeSI AlbBethesda means “house of mercy*’ and that is what the Bethesda Home was to the first tw o girls to tveome residents of the home they had been livingThe Bethesda Home is staffed by only four lull time people, although there are many more people involved with the1 program on a part-time basisThe Hex Woreh is admimstrator of the entire program the BaptistChildren's Home at Kouts, the* Bethesda Home in Valparaiso, and the adoption and foster home serx u e which operates out ol the Valparaiso olire The Hex Anderson is the chief administrator of the Bethesda Home and works in conjunction with the Hex Woreh on the adoption program The Hex Hubert kramp and his xx ife Ann are houseparents at Bethesda The Hex Kramp is a graduate ot the Moltnomah Bible School in Portland, Ore Ann is a registered nurse with experience m obstetrics Dr Stuart Wu acts as physician for the girls until they are ready for obstetrics, at which point a local obstetrician takes over.The girls are very pleased with the prospect of beingtreated by a stetrician in the their pregnancy.woman oh final stages ofA DA Y IN THE LIFE. . .The Rev. Kramp views himself as maintenance man, chauffer, and counselor “The girls -are too mature to acceptsomeone as a lather image, he feelsMrs Kramp leaches the girls everything that she feels they should know before childbirth m but. the girls are taught more than the average mother knows about birth xrilhout at tending special classes Koch girl is taken on a four ol Porter Memorial Hospital before she is admitted In addition to the classes Mrs Kramp does exercises xxilh the girls every da xlate at the Bethesda Home is as relaxed as it can possibly bo made “The girls help around the house, prepare meals, and do other light chores. com merits the Hex Anderson.The girls attend all services at the Calvary Baptist Church in Valparaiso, and participate in many of the church-sponsored act i vi t ies.There is a general air of security and peacefulness about the Bethesda Home The schedule is very flexible and thegirls consider themselves part of one lug family Whenever problems arise a “family disciesion is held to determine a solution that will lie ac ceptable to everyone The girls pay a minimal fee during their stay at Bethesda to help defray the operating costs of the home and their medical expense Along with these fees, expenses are paid by donations from the GARBC churches and interest ini persons Most of the girls stay at the Bethesda Home until the child is Inirn and a definite division about the child's future has been made Most of the girls put the infants up for adoption ( N«*\* Xdnpiion and c hild rare services)Live Ivim*lv BjiikIn lt;i WeekNightsTues. Thru Sat 9p.m. to 1:30a.m.Great Sandwiches Pilcher Beer. I hilled MugsPIZZA I \d^ui
Newspaper Details
Valparaiso Vidette Messenger
Valparaiso, Indiana, US
Wed, Jul 19, 1972
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
Porter C.
IN, USA 27 May 2025
Other Publications Near Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso Vidette Messenger
Valparaiso Torch
Valparaiso Porter County Vidette
