Home Care In Bethesda, NC

Children get opportunity to socialize, build on skills and work with professionals

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NEWS RELEASE BETHESDA ************************* This March Break, Bethesda and Niagara College (NC) are teaming up to offer a unique one-day experience for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or an intellectual and/or developmental disability in the Niagara Region. This comes after a successful PD Day collaboration back in February at the college.

On March 15, students from NC’s Educational Assistance and Adult Supports (EA&AS) and Autism and Behavioural Sciences programs will work alongside Bethesda staff to provide a fun filled afternoon of activities for children who are supported by Bethesda. This unique partnership also provides NC students with a hands-on learning opportunity to contribute to their education, learn more about Bethesda, and most importantly provide families with a supportive opportunity for the day.

Bethesda CEO Paul McGowan says, “Collaboration and working with our community is a core value of Bethesda’s, and we are thrilled to be continuing and expanding our partnerships in order to better support the Niagara community.”

“Niagara College is delighted to partner with outstanding community organizations like Bethesda,” said Jaclyn Frail, NC’s Associate Dean, School of Community Services. “These invaluable collaborations offer our students not only the chance to apply their classroom learning but also to gain hands-on experience that fosters personal and professional growth, ultimately enhancing their educational journey.”

Bethesda staff understand how important these kinds of programs are for parents and caregivers. It allows parents and caregivers the break and time they need to focus on their own emotional well-being and gives them personal time that is often very limited for those caring for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. These programs offer a safe space for children and peace of mind for parents knowing that their children are being cared for by professionals who will provide competent and compassionate care.

For the children, it allows for an opportunity to socialize, build on skills and work with professionals who will provide them with an afternoon of movement tailored to their needs. Each session serves 30-40 children, some have 1:1 support requirements and some 2:1. Parents are even able to stay onsite in the attached cafe overlooking the area, where food and beverages are available for purchase.

Registration will remain open until the spots are all filled. Parents and caregivers can call Bethesda’s Service Coordinator at 905.684.6918 ext. 170 or go to bethesdaservices.com to create an account in our events portal to register.

If your child has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or another intellectual or developmental disability and you are looking for support, connect with us today at 905.684.6918 ext. 170 or email [email protected].

Apples, basketball and broccoli dominated the conversation at a Durham elementary school where self-proclaimed school-lunch lover Gov. Roy Cooper sat to have a snack Tuesday.

“I love school cafeteria food, always have all my life. Growing up in public schools in Nash County, I was the guy. If somebody didn’t want something, they gave it to me,” Cooper said in a press conference at Bethesda Elementary School.

Cooper was in Durham to celebrate a $13.2 million injection of federal cash that will put more locally grown food in North Carolina public schools.

“The studies are overwhelming that students who’ve had a couple of meals do better in school and have fewer discipline problems,” he said.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Mae Wu also spent the morning at the school, as did a smattering of local and state officials.

“It’s a win for North Carolina farmers. It’s a win for North Carolina teachers. It’s a win for North Carolina students. It’s a win for our local economies and communities,” Wu told the crowd.

David Smith, chief deputy commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the agency that buys the farm-grown foods, said they’ve had a program in place for 25 years.

“Since 1997,” Smith said. “It puts millions of dollars into the local economy for farmers every year.”

However, that program has not always been kind to the smaller players.

North Carolina is one of only seven states that enforce a GAP certification requirement, said Durham’s director of child nutrition services James Keaten. GAP is a USDA acronym for Good Agricultural Practices, a program that verifies that fruits and vegetables are produced and stored safely.

“So schools are not allowed to serve food from local farmers unless the farmer is GAP-certified. And the GAP certification is by crop. So if you have a crop of strawberries and a crop of fish and a crop of sweet potatoes, you have certifications for each of those,” Keaten explained.

That quickly adds up.

“It’s very expensive to do GAP certification. That’s why we currently don’t purchase a lot of local products,” Keaten said. “That’s where this grant comes in and why it’s so important.”

Wu, a Raleigh native who graduated from the N.C. School of Science and Math and got her law degree at Duke University, said they estimate the grant funding will help 200 producers enter new markets.

DPS Chief Operating Officer Julius Monk said they know not all students get enough food at home.

“When our students don’t have a nutritious meal to eat, they can’t focus, their academics suffer,” Monk said.

Bethesda is a Title I school, meaning all students receive free lunch because enough of them come from lower-income families. Free breakfast is served in all Durham public schools.

“I know that I’ve been in the cafeteria and seen kids go back through more than once,” Principal Emory Wyckoff said. “This may be the only meal they get. We want it to be healthy, we want it to be nutritious.”

“We’re very sensitive to that need. We never try to make the child feel some kind of way,” cafeteria worker Ruby Lewis said. “It’s a beautiful thing to help the kids to taste different foods that they never would even get a chance to taste.”

Lewis said the kids’ favorite veggies are corn, string beans and broccoli with cheese. And, of course, potatoes.

“I really feel welcome. You guys have been really nice to me,” Cooper told the kindergartners who surrounded him as he finished his serving of peach cobbler.

“I tell a lot of people who criticize our public schools — go in one please. You probably haven’t been in one in years. Go in one,” he said. “Yes, we have a lot of challenges. Yes, we need to invest more. Yes, we need to do better, but it won’t take long before you will see something wonderful happen.”

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This story was originally published October 11, 2022, 4:06 PM.

Patricia Becerril comes to Bethesda Health Center in Charlotte, N.C., every other week. And it's a slog.

"It takes her two hours to get here," says University of North Carolina at Charlotte master's student Katherine Wilkin, translating from the Spanish as Becerril speaks. "She takes two buses, so coming here, she's definitely devoted to getting this treatment. She comes every time."

Wilkin is Becerril's mental health counselor, and Becerril says Wilkin has helped her deal with depression.

"With therapy, she's gotten able to organize her thoughts and feelings, and she feels better, not frustrated, less stress," Wilkin says.

Becerril initially came to this free clinic for diabetes treatment. Director Wendy Pascual says primary care is often the starting point for patients here, most of whom are immigrants.

"One thing we have been seeing year after year is that many patients came here with physical problems that really are mental health problems," Pascual says.

Meanwhile, UNC Charlotte counseling professor Daniel Gutierrez had been looking for a way to get more involved in the community. A mutual friend put him in touch with Pascual, and Gutierrez suggested his master's and Ph.D. students could offer counseling services.

He and Pascual set up a partnership last year, and now about eight students provide treatment. They're unpaid — it's part of their training. Some speak Spanish, some use an interpreter.

Gutierrez says they see a variety of issues.

"The big three we keep finding are depression, high levels of anxiety, and then high levels of trauma," he says. "At one point, about 85 percent of the folks were experiencing some level of some of that."

That's of everyone coming to the clinic for any kind of health care.

The clinic's focus on the immigrant community means treating many people who are uninsured and often here illegally.

"Latinos, although they're experiencing a lot of these mental health concerns, they are among the least likely to be able to get services," Gutierrez says.

Universities in many parts of the country are recognizing that reality. Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Georgia and the University of Denver all have similar partnerships.

Texas has several, including one between that state's flagship university and Austin's Travis County Integral Care.

"The need is enormous," says Kathleen Casey of the Austin mental health provider.

"We know that there's great health disparities, lots of stigma overall, and other types of cultural barriers that make it incumbent upon us to do our very best for outreach and engagement to that population," Casey says.

Latino counselors say the stigma around mental health can be particularly strong in that community. There's also the language barrier. And the actual border crossing can be traumatic, especially for those who cross illegally.

Shahana Koslofsky, a clinical supervisor at Pacific University in Oregon, says some immigrants she treats suffer from PTSD.

"There are stories of sexual assaults and rapes that happen during border crossings," she says. "And then there's more cumulative experiences of growing up in poverty or dealing with drug cartels or gangs or some people have difficult experiences in their country of origin."

Pacific University has around 20 master's and Ph.D. students providing counseling at any given time. Even with that staffing, she says Latinos face waiting lists for treatment.

Back in Charlotte, people lined up outside Bethesda in the rain recently. It was the one day a week Ana Farrera signs up new patients. "The thing is that rain must have scared them away today," she says, "because usually we have like, last week we had 10 people, so I had to turn five away."

Farrera says there have been some mornings where 20 people line up before she opens the door. They're mostly waiting for primary care, but Farerra says many will get referred to the UNC Charlotte students for counseling.

Clinic leaders say the students are making a big difference at the clinic. Student Katherine Wilkin says it works the other way, too.

"For me it's been good because that experience hasn't been just the easiest client I can think of that we read about in textbooks," Wilkin says. "I feel very comfortable building up from this."

So do UNC Charlotte professors. The university plans to scale up the partnership with Bethesda.

This story is part of a reporting partnership with NPR, WFAE and Kaiser Health News.

The following property transfers were recorded at the Gaston County Register of Deeds from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24, 2017.

Daniel and Kelly Harris to Stanley Wright, property at 1021 Kings Mountain Lane, Gastonia, NC 28054, $149,000

Richard and Barbara Stumpfoll to James Steele Jr., property at 112 Bennett Trail Drive, Mount Holly, NC 28120, $220,000

DR Horton to Bryan and Jill Crider, property at 1900 Eastway Drive, Dallas, NC 28034, $165,000

Angel and Robert Hildebrand Jr. to Travis and Treka Woods, property at 2307 Woodleaf Drive, Gastonia, NC 28052, $125,000

Adams Homes AEC to David Brown, property at 448 Planters Way, Mount Holl, NC 28120, $196,000

Forrest Queen to Brittany Peeler, property at 3713 Dallas High Shoals Highway, Dallas, NC 28034, $55,000

MRJ Investments to Scott and Diane Oesterle, property at 4362 Timberwood Drive, Gastonia, NC 28056, $215,000

Nell Kinley to Providence Management and Investments, property at 1812 N. New Hope Road, Gastonia, NC 28054, $100,000

David and Kim Lankford to Wesley Lankford, property at 108 Nantz St., Mt. Holly, NC 28120, $56,000

Karen and Johan Menting to Henry and Lois Speed, property at 2509 Bethesda Oaks Drive, Gastonia, NC 28056, $224,000

True Homes LLC to Jacinta Kirkman, property at 1557 Brett Shane Court, Gastonia, NC 28052, $147,000

M&W Industries to Michelle Brown, property at 2801 Sunset Drive, Gastonia, NC 28054, $131,000

Kelly and Jenny Rice to Miles and Jamie Copenhaver, property at 4448 Timberwood Drive, Gastonia, NC 28056, $213,000

Lennar Carolinas to Brian Wallace, property at 2736 Sawbridge Lane, Gastonia, NC 28056, $156,500

Christopher and Victoria Ashley to William Willard and Karalyn Newman, property at 101 Devynn Ridge Court, Mount Holly, NC 28120, $225,000

Charles and Yvonne Parker to Nectalia Canales, property at 2728 Bessemer City Road, Bessemer City, NC 28016, $119,000

Kelly and Steven Hofmann to Bret and Gloria Stock, property at 319 Cape Breton Trail, Gastonia, NC, $124,000

Bonterra Builders to Karen and Barry Woods, property at 533 Academy St., McAdenville, NC 28101, $285,000

Adrian Gonzalez to Elizabeth Morales, property at 416 E Poplar St., Stanley, NC 28168, $164,000

Latara and Cameron Wilson to Chad and Courtney Baird, property at 1417 River Run Road, Lowell, NC 28098, $152,000

Adams Homes AEC to Samuel Kropf, property at 5220 Newport Landing Way, Gastonia, NC 28056, $201,500

Roger Smith to Ronald Cook, property at 2400 Amity Ave., Gastonia, NC 28054, $140,000

Dawson White to Patricia Dukes, property at 2991 Heritage Commons Lane, Gastonia, NC 28054, $247,000

Charles and Ritta Reep to Bryd and Linda Sexton, property at 2020 Red Leaf Court, Dallas, NC 28034, $159,000

Richard and Amanda Austin to Dan and Alice Rhyne, property at 107 E. Henry St., Belmont, NC 28012, $139,000

True Homes LLC to Yehuda and Sharon Hefetz, property at 1469 Brett Shane Court, Gastonia, NC 28052, $153,000

Scott and Jenniger Rea to Helder and Patricia Meneses, property at 320 Silvercliff Drive, Mount Holly, NC 28120, $339,000

Yvonne Riley to Adam Wilson, property at 306 Rosewood Lane Extension, Dallas, NC 28034, $93,500

Barbara and Ronnie Putnam to Robrt Bowen, property at 949 Besstown Road, Bessemer City, NC 28016, $70,000

Adams Homes AEC to Grant and Camelia Gurski, property at 4000 Tall Timber Court, Gastonia, NC 28056, $313,500

Phillip and Terri Nixon to Peter and Tiffany Jothen, property at 1269 Dorhcester Road, Gastonia, NC 28056, $300,000

Wilson Family Builders to Stephen and Elena Wetmore, property at 4525 McChesney Drive, Gastonia, NC 28056, $308,000

AVH Carolinas to Christopher and Margaret Anderson, property at 224 Summit Ave., Mount Holly, NC 28120, $272,000

Debra and Timothy Burgess to Tyler Carter, property at 1615 Miles Road, Dallas, NC 28034, $95,000

Roger and Janet Henry to Devon and Aimee Simmons, property at 2020 Aspen Way Court, Gastonia, NC 28054, $177,500

Bethesda Elementary School in Durham will introduce its 4th grade student who qualified to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee: Frank Dumas.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Bethesda Elementary School in Durham introduced its fourth grade student who qualified to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Frank Dumas is that student, and Thursday afternoon he stood in front of television cameras and his classmates to talk about his preparations for the upcoming spelling bee.

"I'm going to be nervous, but I'm also going to be pretty excited," Dumas said.

He won a trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the spelling bee after winning the Duke Regional Spelling Bee.

Bethesda Principal Dr. Shaneeka Moore-Lawrence had the honor of notifying fourth-grader Frank Dumas that he has advanced to the national Scripps Spelling Bee on June 2 in Washington, D.C. Frank will join 200 other regional winners in the competition. Congratulations! #DPSProud pic.twitter.com/RJjcmu3Xa2

— Durham Public Schools (@DurhamPublicSch) March 30, 2022

Frank's mother challenged him and his twin sister to take their education a step further after she saw them studying Spanish and French words in Duolingo. The siblings were using the language app to uncover new words and learn about their spellings and etymology.

Mom said she was a good speller in school and that's why she pushed her children to commit themselves to the spelling bee. She also credited Frank's teachers for their support.

"Community and parental involvement is crucial to the education process," she said during Thursday's press conference.

The success is no surprised to Frank's fourth grade teacher Nicole Thompson.

"Frank is extremely hard-working, always putting 100 percent into his work. He really is a team player. He wants everyone to do well together," she said.

"He doesn't like to mess up so he will put in a lot of effort to study and come up with strategies that help him reach his goals. He's always seeking to find out how he can overcome any challenges that he faces so he can be successful," Frank's mother said.