Windows for the Holidays 2010 Winner!
When these teens first come to TreeHouse, they suffer from depression, abuse drugs and alcohol, perform poorly in school, engage in risky and self-destructive behaviors and come from families in crisis.
Through TreeHouses's life-transforming programs, the staff at Chaska helps at-risk teens reduce these behaviors, encourages them to build healthy relationships with self and others, helps them connect to their community, both secular and religious, improves high school graduation rates, and puts them on track for post-secondary education or a vocation.
An essential part of TreeHouse programming is creation of a safe haven where teens can share their problems with staff and their peers.
With cold winter air and summer heat and humidity coming through drafty windows, it was difficult to maintain the safe, inviting, comfortable TreeHouse that our at-risk adolescents need.
New windows helped TreeHouse - Chaska become even more inviting, economically sound and overall more successful and supportive for our at-risk teens.
Click here to read the full article!
Windows for the Holidays 2009 Winner!
Teresa and Dean have 14 children, ranging in age from 6-21, 13 of whom joined their family through the blessing of adoption and from the foster care system. Teresa and Dean are passionate about parenting children who so desperately need a family and home to call their own. They also realize the importance of keeping sibling groups together. They welcomed their first child by adoption when he was just 2 months old. They had a biological child a couple of years later. In 2001, they adopted a sibling group of 4 children who had been in foster care for 7 years. In 2003, they adopted a sibling group of 3 children who had been in foster care for 3 years. In 2005, they adopted another sibling group of 5 children. who had also been in foster care. While all of these sibling groups were in foster care, they were separated from each other. The family lives in an old farmhouse which desperately needs better windows and doors. money is pretty tight with so many children to provide for, so they have not been able to put in good windows and doors. I would like to nominate this family for the Windows for the Holidays program. The family lives in Mora, MN.
Windows for the Holidays 2008 Winner!
In the spirit of service that we're committed to at Craftsmen Home Improvements, we partnered with Pella to give away $10,000 worth of windows and doors to a family in need during the 2008 holiday season. Jason and Erika Schlicht were chosen as the giveaway recipients after being nominated on CraftsmenHomeImprovements.com. Following is the nomination story submitted for the Schlichts: Jason Schlicht and his wife, Erika, are one of the humblest young couples that my wife and I know. They are quick to help others in need in whatever way they can. However, they are not ones to ask for help themselves. It isn’t a pride issue; the Schlichts simply do not like burdening anyone.
But the road the Lord has placed them on has had more than its share of sharp turns in the past year or so - some of them thrilling and some of them downright scary. For instance, Jason and Erika have been blessed with the opportunity to adopt not one, but two newborn children, an opportunity they gratefully seized. However, sandwiched between these special moments has been the discovery of a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer in Erika, a diagnosis resulting in months of chemotherapy and radiation that will continue into the spring of 2009. Needless to say, all three of these life-changing events have had a significant financial impact on the Schlichts, who — it should be noted — are a single-income family. (Erika gave up a very promising career as an engineer to raise their children, Ellie and Jacob). Indeed, the Schlichts’ home has been warmed immensely by the joyful, blessed presence of Ellie and Jacob. Unfortunately, much of that “heat” has been lost through their home’s aging, poorly constructed windows, which I estimate to be at least 25 years old. The windows are in desperate need of replacement. (3M doesn’t make a window film anywhere near effective enough to prevent the heat loss through these units.) Yet, this need comes at a time when Jason and Erika simply cannot afford it. I nominate the Schlichts for your Pella window promotion because I think they are the most deserving family I know and because they will be the most grateful family you’ll ever meet should they be selected. We look forward to serving the Schlichts and continuing to warm their home for years to come. Check our site for updates on the Schlichts home improvements and for more information about getting involved with Windows for the Holidays in 2009!
