The foster home had an open house but only backers came by to show support.
By TAMARA EL-KHOURY
Published November 18, 2005
OLDSMAR - Mary Wheatley, the woman in charge of a controversial group foster home on Shore Drive, didn't expect many visitors to Thursday's open house.
Wheatley is the vice president of operations for Gift of Life, the social services organization running a group home for six foster kids on Shore Drive. At Tuesday's City Council meeting, during which opponents of the home spoke publicly against it, she gave out her cell phone number. It was entered into the public record.
By Thursday, she still hadn't received a single call.
And although the opponents had requested a meeting with Gift of Life, none showed up. Almost all of the two dozen people who came to the open house to view the renovations and meet the staff expressed their support.
Among the visitors were Bob and Rosemary Belisle, who said they came to offer the Moose Lodge's help. The organization had already decided to provide Thanksgiving dinner for the kids and the staff and provide Christmas gifts for each child.
"If they don't have a Christmas tree, we'll get them one," Bob Belisle said.
Even sheriff's Deputy Don Mast, the city's community police officer, came to give his contact information to Lee Scharrer, executive director of Gift of Life.
"No one from the Sheriff's Office told me to come," Mast said. "I just knew a lot of the controversy and I saw the articles in the paper and I just wanted to come here and introduce myself and welcome them to the neighborhood."
Officials with Gift of Life were encouraged by such sentiments.
"With the support we're getting from the two churches and the Moose Lodge and all the neighbors, these kids are clothed and fed through the holidays," Scharrer said.
Some residents of Shore Drive have fought the organization's efforts to open the group home, saying it is not appropriate for the neighborhood. One of the residents presented a petition with 50 signatures against the home to the City Council on Tuesday, and demanded a meeting with Scharrer.
Visitors toured the three bedrooms equipped with six beds, some with leopard print sheets and games on the shelves. A net-covered pool that once was green with algae is slowly returning to blue, thanks to the efforts of Caryn Gambino, office manager for Gift of Life.
A fourth bedroom will be used as an office. The laundry room has been bolted shut to keep cleaning chemicals away from the children.
Safety lights, pulldown fire alarms and new hardwiring were installed to bring the house up to code.
Derek Ney, the home's owner, is looking forward to his new tenants.
"The previous tenant did nothing but trash the place," Ney said.
Council member Don Bohr and Mayor Jerry Beverland were among the home's guests at the open house. Council member Janice Miller's husband, Ruben Hernandez, asked questions on behalf of his wife, who was out of town. He asked how to obtain the address of a group home for girls in St. Petersburg that Gift of Life also runs; Miller hopes to ask questions of the neighbors to gauge their experience with that home.
Dana Barrow, who lives off Shore Drive, dropped by to show her support.
"If we don't open our hearts and our arms to these kids," she said, "they could very well be the juveniles we're afraid of."
INSIDE THE HOUSE
The group home will probably be home to three foster boys and three foster girls about 13 or 14 years old. They will receive 24-hour supervision by trained staffers on rotation, with two or three on duty at all times. Some of the children may get counseling, if needed. Gift of Life is also seeking a couple to live there as parental figures.
