Baker College human services students create nurturing refuge for women in substance abuse treatment program

JACKSON, Mich. – Employees at Born Free, a substance abuse program offered by Family Service & Children’s Aid, handed over their keys to Baker College of Jackson students on Friday, Nov. 14. The students came armed with paint, furniture, curtains, artwork and all the equipment needed to provide a room makeover. A day later, they had transformed a classroom-like group room into a cozy, nurturing refuge, fitting for women in recovery.

Melissa Davis, Born Free program director and therapist, said, “The transformation is astonishing; it doesn’t look or feel like the same room. It exudes a calmness that touches everyone who enters it. Our recovering clients immediately sit down and snuggle up in one of the throws the Baker College students provided, and the room provides some serenity for our staff members. We are extremely grateful for the students’ dedication and extraordinary efforts in creating this incredibly pleasant and calming atmosphere.”

Davis said that the room makeover also helped the organization meet a requirement of several of Born Free’s funding institutions.

“We are expected to have a warm, nurturing environment, but we didn’t have funds to make that happen,” she said. “We are humbled by the Baker College students’ care and concern put into the makeover. They clearly thought beyond the paint and furniture.”

Brad Schweda, director of the human services program at Baker College of Jackson, has organized such events, which he calls While You Were Out projects, at area not-for-profit organizations for the past 15 years to provide service-learning projects for students enrolled in the program.

“Just as the non-profit organizations that we help benefit from our work, our students benefit from gaining insight into potential work environments,” said Schweda. “The Born Free project was extremely rewarding for the students. They started with white walls, two worktables, some folding chairs and a DVD player balanced on top of a water cooler. Born Free staff members selected the warm brown color for the walls and asked that it feel like a living room. Our students did the rest.”

In planning the project, the students held fundraisers to support the project and pursued donated materials: chairs from Baker College of Jackson, paint from a student’s family and painting supplies from local retailers. They also took into account furniture available for the project that was located in other areas of Born Free. One of the students made the curtains. Others brought scented plug-ins, magazines and several blanket throws. Art, some of which conveys inspirationally appropriate messages, was donated by several students, Schweda and local artist Sheryl Chappell Amburgey.

Although Schweda originally created While You Were Out projects for students in the human services introductory course, they also attract members of Baker College’s human services student club and honor society, Tau Upsilon Alpha (TUA).

The Jackson campus offers an associate and a bachelor’s degree in human services that prepare graduates for employment in a wide variety of human service careers in helping diverse populations—from children to elderly persons, and those who are developmentally disabled.

Born Free, 300 W. Louis Glick Highway, Jackson, provides treatment support and assistance to women struggling to overcome substance abuse. The program’s goal is to help strengthen the total family in the process. It is open to all women. For more information, visit strong-families.org or call 517.782.9905.

For more information about the human services program at Baker College of Jackson, visit www.baker.edu or contact Kevin Pnacek in the admissions office at 517.788.7800 or kevin.pnacek@baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.

Photo captions:

1 – The Born Free group room started with white walls, two worktables, some folding chairs and a DVD player balanced on top of a water cooler.

2 – The students were eager to paint the walls a warm brown color chosen by the Born Free staff to create a more warm, nurturing environment.

3-4 – Art, some of which conveys inspirationally appropriate messages, was donated by several students, Schweda and local artist Sheryl Chappell Amburgey.

5 – The throws, pictured on the table, now provide comfort and warmth to recovering clients during early morning sessions.

6 – Celebrating the makeover of Born Free’s group room from Baker College are (kneeling) Paulette Burgess, Jackson; (from left) Chelsey Wilcox, Jackson; Katelin Boutwell, Pleasant Lake; Amanda Jones, Hanover; Megan Campbell, Grass Lake; Ashlee Seeburger, Onsted; Dawn Orner, Morenci; and Katelyn Morgan, Brad Schweda, LaBranda Myers and Melinda Watts, of Jackson.