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BOY'S HOME NEEDS HOLIDAY GENEROSITY

BY KRISTEN ALLOWAY
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

As the 14 boys who live at St. Peter's Orphanage in Denville gathered last week for an early Thanksgiving dinner, each one gave thanks for something.

The 10-year-old teasingly known as the "weatherman" - because he always has a climatic update - was happy with the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and eggplant parmigiana spread on the table before him.

The lanky 13-year-old with a flair for looking stylish said he was thankful to be alive.

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"The state funds are for operating costs, but they don't give you money for capital expenditures. We rely on donations." KELLY MCNAMARA, St. Peter's Orphanage

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Thanksgiving through Christmas is the most difficult time of year for the boys at St. Peter's. December's whirlwind of parties, dinners and gifts often reminds the boys of what their lives are missing. Then, in January, the attention from well-meaning community groups stops for another year.

But officials at St. Peter's are hoping this season that the good will extend into 2003. The home for boys who have been dealt some of the worst that life has to offer is struggling to make simple improvements.

The $967,000 that St. Peter's gets annually from the state covers the day-to-day costs of food, clothing and around-the-clock care for the boys, ages 6 to 17. But the nearly 30-year-old home has started to show its age, said Executive Director Kelly McNamara.

She recently learned that the dark wood paneling that covers most of the walls inside the home is not fireproof, and the state has recommended that it be replaced.

The boys' bedroom furniture has taken more than a decade of abuse by children who were not always taught to respect their things.

The volleyball court out back needs more sand.

"The state funds are for operating costs, but they don't give you money for capital expenditures. We rely on donations," McNamara said.

There are little things, too, that the home always needs: comforters, sheets and pillows - because some of the boys' items are washed every day and take a beating. Bikes, sleds, bike helmets, sneakers, boots, books and art supplies would be put to good use, too.

"They're boys. They're tough on things, and they outgrow stuff," said McNamara, who has worked at St. Peter's for more than five years. St. Peter's opened in Newark in 1963 as an orphanage to care for children left parentless by the Civil War. It evolved into a home for troubled youths, especially after moving to Morris County in 1974.

In the late 1970's, St. Peter's stopped accepting girls because there were more boys in the child welfare system who needed help. The home had been run by the School Sisters of Notre Dame until the last nun able to oversee the home retired earlier this year.

While it is considered an orphanage, only about half of the boys are without parents; the others are unable to live with their families for a variety of reasons.

"They may have been abused or neglected. Their parents may be drug users, in prison, missing, homeless," McNamara said.

Boys stay at St. Peter's an average of 18 months. Some will spend their entire adolescence there. For confidentiality reasons, none of the boys could be identified by their last names, and some could not be named at all.

This fall, the Denville Kiwanis has pledged $25,000 to buy the boys new bedroom furniture - desks, beds, dressers, and footlockers.

"They don't get enough money from the state to do the things they need to get done," said Denville Kiwanis President Ruth Incitti. "Come hell or high water, we're going to raise the money to make this happen."

Simple, everyday things that most people take for granted and a clean home can mean a great deal to the boys.

"The newer the house, the cleaner the house, the better for them," said Jose Baez, the home's program director, who has worked at St. Peter's for 18 years. "It's good for their self-esteem, for their own self-control. The more chaotic the home, the more difficult it is for them."

The boys all have a hand in keeping St. Peter's looking its best. In addition to keeping their own rooms in order, they sweep and vacuum the home's common areas, clean up the kitchen after dinner and do yard work.

After last week's snowfall, Baez asked 14-year-old Emil to shovel the walk. Emil was tempted to grab a trash can lid and go sledding at a nearby golf course. "But I knew if Jose catches me, I'd be in trouble," he said.

As they went around the table during Thanksgiving dinner, Emil, an aspiring drummer and baseball player, said he was thankful for St. Peter's, "for accepting me and for taking care of me." "I have a mom and dad now," he said later. "Kelly and Jose."

For information on St. Peter's and a look at its "wish list," visit www.stpetersorphanage.org and click on "Donations," or call (973) 627-0212.

Kristen Alloway works in the Morris County bureau. She can be reached at kalloway@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910.

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