JBFC Surprise!



At JBFC, there's no Mother's Day or Father's Day. But that doesn't mean our girls don't recognize the hard work, sacrifice and love of their many Moms and Dads. So, the JBFC girls made up their own holiday - Matron and Staff Appreciation Day.

 

The girls have done this for a couple of years. But this year's celebration was even bigger - because it was a total surprise to the staff.


 Instead of asking the adults for money to throw a staff appreciation party, the girls made some sacrifices of their own for the celebration. They gave up meat and fish for a month to save more than $200 (USD) to show all of the Mamas and the staff members just how much they are appreciated.



All of the women were given brand-new kangas as gifts. All of the guys got new shirts made from kanga cloth. And everyone got bags of sweets.




JBFC's Girls' Government planned and organized the whole thing - including making a huge feast serving pilau, beans, chicken, beef, soda, fruit, salad, and french fries. None of the matrons were allowed to help with the cooking or the cleaning! The kids did everything.

There was music, fun and games -- including this hilarious round of musical chairs. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

 Here's what the JBFC Staff & Mama's had to say about the celebration:

"I felt incredibly good all day and the feeling has continued several days later. The girls' thoughtfulness has given me inspiration for this work. I felt like the administration and the girls really love, value, and care about me. I can't believe the girls, with no resources, were able to do this."
- Mama Maria


"The party felt great. It showed us that the girls care, love and value us."
-Mama Maggie


"Seeing our girls put others before themselves shows that we are truly creating responsible citizens of tomorrow. If they continue to live their lives in this way, they will truly be the change that we are working for here at JBFC."
- Chris Gates, JBFC Founder & CEO


"The thoughtfulness and sacrifice the girls put into Parent Day made me very proud."
- Melinda Wulf, JBFC Administrative Director


"Watching the girls discover the rewards of recognizing others and showing their appreciation towards others was in and of itself amazing. Equally amazing was their efforts to save money over the course of a month to pay for it all. Proud we are."
- Seth Diemond, JBFC Campus Director