Sevier News Messenger Sevier County News and Opinion
Biennially, Church of God Home for Children alumni converge on the campus of Smoky Mountain Children’s Home (formerly named Church of God Home for Children) for their reunion. This year was no exception. Alumni who grew up at the children’s home came from California, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee and many other states to celebrate homecoming with their brothers and sisters. These siblings may not be biologically related, but they are just as close due to their time shared at the children’s home. The respect and love demonstrated to one another and to their former house parents (house mother’s as they were referred to in that era) is genuine and felt throughout the weekend.
The alumni’s theme this year was: 99 Years and Still Going Strong! They gathered Friday evening for a pizza party sponsored by SMCH to kick off their weekend festivities. On Saturday morning, they met in the Magnolia Auditorium for their business meeting. Alumni appreciated their time on Saturday afternoon visiting cottages, sharing their stories with other campus residents and seeing the progress made at the place they call home!
Alumni gathered Saturday evening for their banquet, where they enjoyed a wonderful meal together, presented awards and entertained each other with various skits. The awards presented were: Servant Awards, Rev. Mike & Gwen
Walker and Ginger Odom; Special Achievement Award, Tim Pompey (author); The Lillian Kinsey Award, Mrs. Annie Loyd Elliott; and Alumni of the Year Award, Anna Phillips. Staff members and alumni who have passed away in the last two years were also honored and recognized by the group.
Dr. Walt and Tammie Mauldin expressed their appreciation for the camaraderie shown to Smoky Mountain Children’s Home and the many ways the alumni offer their continued support of The Home. The Mauldins were also grateful for the privilege to have one of our very own to be a part of their alumni banquet by sharing her gift of music. Lexi Daniel, age 18 and a part of the current Independent Living Program, played her guitar and sang for the alumni.
The grandeur moment for the Children’s Home was a separate meeting with alumni members for the Church of God Home for Children and alumni from the Church of God Home Kidz group, along with staff from Smoky Mountain Children’s Home. The meeting was held to discuss a united adventure for a Centennial Homecoming event planned for September 26, 2020. All members attending the meeting are very excited about the idea of coming “home” again next year to celebrate the 100 years of ministry of the children’s home!
To follow the centennial events for the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home, we invite you to our website: www.smch.org; Facebook pages: Smoky Mountain Children’s Home, Church of God Home for Children, Home Kidz and twitter: @cogsmch and @wmauldin. Or you can call the office: 865.453.4644 or email Dr. Pamela Kay Overbey, pkoverbey@smch.org.
