The Fruits of Our Labor

Eddie’s Road is truly a labor of love.  In those desperate months after Eddie’s death all I could think about was keeping him alive.  Or a better way to say it – creating a legacy that would remind those of us who loved him of the great impact he had on each of us.

I’ve started and stopped a lot of endeavors in my life.  I am never afraid of a challenge and I’m never too proud to admit when something isn’t working out as I had hoped.  Call it bravery or stupidity.  I have always felt the two were closely related.

I always knew Eddie’s Road would be different.  I would not allow it to fail because the stakes were too high.  It was Eddie’s legacy and it was built to help children who needed us desperately.  There is no way I will ever turn my back on it.

At first, like most new organizations, it was not always clear exactly how we would make a difference in the lives of at-risk children.  Earlier this year, we hit on the right combination of need, financing and the perfect fit with our mission statement and goals.

We partnered with Murphy Harpst Children’s Centers in Cedartown,  GA.  MH is a very old institution in rural, west Georgia and home to the children most in need of our help.

At any given time there are as many as 56 kids there.  They have all been seriously abused and neglected.  Most are wards of the state (parental rights have been terminated).  All of the female residents have been sexually abused at some point in their short lives.  The kids may be suicidal and suffer from psychological disorders. 

They are the worst of the worst.

Our goal is to help create a different future for kids like this.  While we don’t believe we can help every child, we are optimistic that we can make a difference for some of them.  And that makes the whole endeavor worth it.

If you visit our website and others that deal with child abuse, you will find that the future for kids in the child welfare system is bleak.  Overwhelmingly, the odds are against them.  For the kids at MH, it is even less likely that they will grow into independent, stable adults.

I was always inspired by Eddie’s personal story of triumph over a tragic childhood.  He managed to overcome the odds and become the amazing man that we knew and loved.  He did it mostly through his own determination and intelligence.  But he also gave credit to the short period of time he spent in a boy’s group home when he was a teenager heading for a life of crime and instability.  Several adults there took the time to see what he was capable of, coached and mentored him.  And he left with a level of confidence that he could be better than where he came from.

The child welfare system in our country is lacking in so many ways.  At the end of the day it is all about funding and conflicting priorities.  Frankly, when a child turns 18, the system is built to get them out of the way as quickly as possible because they are over run with even more, younger children entering the system.  It is a vicious cycle.

Through our meetings with the staff at Murphy Harpst, we all agreed the greatest need was with the 14-18 year old population who were facing major obstacles as they prepared to exit the system.  With little to no support in the way of family, and having come from a very regimented environment, these kids don’t stand a chance of entering independent living and making the right choices.  They will end up incarcerated, homeless or dead. 

With funding provided by our generous donors (almost exclusively from the motorcycling community) and a grant from the QBE Foundation (my very supportive and generous employer), the staff at Murphy Harpst started the “Eddie’s Road Intern” program.

We originally planned for six kids to participate but it quickly expanded to ten with several already on the waiting list as spots open up.  In early June the ten kids (four boys, six girls ) were moved into the James Cottage (no kidding).

I went to visit them this week and left the campus absolutely ecstatic about what has been accomplished so early in this program. 

Several of the kids were able to hold off-campus jobs this summer.  One of them made such an impression that the summer job has been turned into permanent, part-time employment.

Others attended summer school to press forward with their educational goals.  All of them will either be pursuing their education through a prep program to get their GED or their high school diploma.

Their environment is structured to address behaviors that will be necessary for the interns to live successfully in an adult world.  Timeliness, respect, completing tasks, mentoring others, independence, following guidelines and continuing their psychological treatments are all stressed every day.

And there has been an added benefit that none of us even thought of.  The kids in the intern program are seen as leaders on the campus and are being groomed to mentor other children housed at MH.  Other children who are not participants have made great improvements due to their desire to one day become an Eddie’s Road Intern.

I left the campus knowing that it is possible to make a difference.  Yes, it is early yet and the real challenges will come once these kids are out in the real world.  But after meeting them, eating dinner with them, and talking to them, I have no doubt there are several in this group who will leave this program and be able to manage their lives quite nicely.  Just like Eddie.

And speaking of Eddie – Charles (Chuck) Troutman, the CEO at Murphy Harpst, asked me to speak after dinner.  He stressed that he wanted me to tell the kids about Eddie, who he was, why he was special and how much he was like them.  So, through some tears, I did just that.  As I spoke I realized that Chuck knew what he was doing.  The kids listened to every word I said about Eddie.  They asked questions about him.  They wanted to know what kind of motorcycles he liked (all of them) and what he looked like (handsome, of course).  They asked pointed questions about his childhood and his death.  I answered every one and did not hold back.

Knowing who the Eddie in “Eddie’s Road” was is key to the whole process.  He can inspire them just as he has inspired us.

Coming up this fall we will plan a work day at James Cottage to fix things up a bit, maybe fresh paint and new flooring.  We will also hold some informational sessions for anyone who may want to mentor an Eddie’s Road Intern.

But the greatest task in my mind is focusing on raising the money necessary to continue funding this program and others like it across the country.   This is not a one year project.  It is a continuous program that doesn’t end with this group of ten kids.

Please help us continue to support this effort.  Any donation helps.  Help us spread the word that we can truly make a difference in the lives of the most damaged children amongst us.

Eddie's Road  (and look for our newly designed web site coming soon!)