For Robert and Mary Ann Emick, working at CARE House in Pontiac, the home of the Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Oakland County, has been nothing short of an eye-opening experience.
‘What truly amazed me is they have three appointments a day,? said Mary Ann. ‘That’s 15 children a week. That’s a lot of children, just in Oakland County.
‘That boggled my mind,? she said.
The Emicks, who moved to Lake Orion from the Cleveland area six years ago, first learned about CARE House after they saw it on a donation list from United Way.
They donated money to the program for several years, and then Robert, a quality manager for interiors at DaimlerChrysler, decided he wanted to do more.
So, for the past two years, Robert has spent one evening a week working with the nuturing programs at CARE House, helping kids deal with stress and anger, and interact appropriately with family members.
‘The CARE House serves as a place to interview and investigate cases of child abuse,? he explained. ‘They work with all the agencies in Oakland County, and all of the interviews are held there.?
CARE House has rooms of toys and games for the kids, to help them feel comfortable.
‘I work on the prevention side,? said Robert. ‘I work with children who are dealing with anger and conflict.?
Mary Ann began volunteering at CARE House in March and works with younger children who have just arrived for interviews.
‘It’s the child assist program,? she said. ‘I’m there to welcome them and relax the child and be with them the whole time they’re there.?
CARE House is hoping to get funding to start a nurturing problem for teenagers. Currently, the program Robert works with is for ages 5-11, while Mary Ann, who also volunteers once a week, works with children ages 4-13.
‘CARE House interviews children as young as 3 and as old as 17,? she said. ‘They are funded through a combination of private donations, and with funds from organizations like United Way.?
Mary Ann said it is somewhat unusual to have a husband and wife team volunteering there.
‘Usually it’s women, and the occasional man,? she added. ‘They are always looking for more volunteers.?
While Mary Ann works with different children every week, Robert works with the same group of families for 15 weeks at a time.
The Emicks went through volunteer training at CARE House, which for Mary Ann included two morning sessions.
‘Then I shadowed a volunteer,? she said. ‘They’re constantly having in-service type days, and we role played an interview to see how it’s done since we don’t actually get to witness those.
‘We’ve always lived in the suburbs, so you don’t think of (child abuse),? she said. ?
‘We were not aware how rampant it is,? said Robert.
Each week when Robert meets with his group at CARE House, they focus on a lesson or factor, such as self-image.
‘With the younger kids, it’s not as intense,? he said. ‘With the middle school-age, it’s a little more in depth.?
At the beginning of the 15 weeks, the kids are asked to draw pictures of their families.
‘In the beginning, they’re a small character,? Robert said. ‘At the end, they feel more like a part of the family.?
CARE House also has a Healthy Start program for infants, to help parents learn how to interact.
‘It used to be you stayed in the hospital for 4-5 days after you had your baby, learning how to hold the baby and do other things? said Mary Ann.
‘With health care the way it is, now you don’t do that. You’re in and out.?
Besides CARE House, the Emicks are also active at their church, Christ the Redeemer, in Lake Orion.
‘The church has always been kind of our surrogate family,? said Robert, who serves on the Christian Service Commission.
The Emicks work on Habitat for Humanity, help man a warming center in the winter, work on Red Cross blood drives, and do marriage preparation counseling for engaged couples.
‘We sponsor one couple a year,? Robert said.
Mary Ann makes blankets for the Warm Up America, and is also a Stephen Minister.
She has also worked at the Orion Senior Center, and volunteers at St. Mary’s Retreat House in Oxford.
‘I have a degree in education,? said Mary Ann, who took an early retirement.
The Emicks have three children: Son Alan, 31, lives in Pasadena, California; daughter Dawn, 28, is in medical school at Johns Hopkins; and daughter Karen, 24, lives in Rochester Hills with her husband.
‘God has blessed me abundantly,? said Mary Ann. ‘There’s a story in the Bible about talents…I feel strongly that I need to do (volunteer work), I need to work in the community. We were put here for a purpose.?
Robert said there is a line in the lyrics of the song ‘The Circle of Life,? that he tries to apply to his own life.
?’You should never take more than you give,?? he said. ‘That’s kind of my philosophy.?
The Emicks lived in Austria for a year and a half, shortly after they bought their house in Lake Orion, when Robert was transferred there with DaimlerChrysler.
‘That gave us a lot of time to reexamine where we wanted to focus our energies,? Mary Ann said.
They lived in a small town called Graz, and Robert said he was expecting culture shock.
‘It was during 9/11,? he said. ‘We came back and things had changed (in America).?
‘That was an amazing experiment in values,? Mary Ann said of their time overseas.
The Emicks encourage anyone who is interested in getting involved with volunteering to contact CARE House.
‘The theme of CARE House is, ‘It shouldn’t hurt to be a child,?? said Mary Ann. ‘The guidelines are, kids don’t get in trouble at CARE House.
‘They are treated with respect and honor,? she said.