Wood's Homes Today

What do we do here? The simple answer is that we are simply carrying on with the legacy created by one man; a legacy that we have interpreted as best we can based on the information passed down to us. The core of this legacy is caring; caring by doing, not just words, caring without forethought or strings attached; caring with irrationality, caring with an abundance of forgiveness and caring for periods of time that are not measurable. Hence we have the mantras of "We never turn anyone away, We never give up, Never say no, or it can't be done." These are not just empty words; we mean them.

It's embarassing to admit your kid is one of those "problem ones." Wood's never made me feel bad for that. In fact, now, looking back, I think I'm lucky.

a single mom with three now-grown boys

Wood's does not desire or intend to take the place of another, a parent, a friend, a child welfare worker, a confidante. It simply hopes to fill in the gap that exists when you don't know what else to do, when you have exhausted all of your resources, when you have nowhere else to turn. It would seem that what we all need to find, at times like those, is a safe place, a place where someone listens.

We at Wood's believe that all parents or caregivers always have the best interests of children at their core. However, some struggle with themselves, their situations, the world, and the day-to-day events in their lives. Sometimes so much so that their children suffer. These parents, caregivers, adults need our assistance as much as their children do.

Wood's created a collective of services in 1985 with the intention that these services would assist each other, filling in those gaps that exist "out there" when services cannot meet all the needs. This collective is far from perfect but the intent is there; that we all are working towards the same end, the creation of a seamless and simple way of accessing what you need when you need it. The values of the agency for the children and families we serve are parallel to the values that we give and expect from the many people that work within these walls. Some of these are a sense of belonging, faith in the possible, forgiveness and commitment.