Through the fulfillment of dreams and innovative educational programs, Second Wind Dreams®, a national non-profit organization, enhances the quality of life for those living in eldercare communities and changes the perception of aging.

Where did your passion for this cause originate?

I began administering psychological testing in Nursing Homes in 1983. Not exactly the Cadillac job most people would hope for, but I fell in love with the elders from the start. Even in the toughest of situations they were happy to have a visitor. They shared touching stories from their past and for the most part, just wanted some attention. One of the questions on the evaluation was for them to finish the sentence, “I wish. . .”. The responses were incredibly humbling. They wanted to see an old friend, visit the place they used to work, go to a movie, have a steak dinner and even ride a roller coaster.  After several years of hearing these types of responses I began to wonder why we couldn’t make those ‘dreams’ happen.

What’s the most important lesson that you have learned in this experience?

People want to help. Problem is, they aren’t sure how to go about it. I am constantly amazed at how much people want to help our elders and the lengths they will go to make a dream come true.

What can readers do to help?

Visit our Web site at www.secondwind.org and see all the things we are doing, and if this looks like something that tugs at your heart, e-mail us or give us a call and we can match you up with an elder or an entire elder care community and let the dreaming begin. Time is not on our side at Second Wind Dreams.

Do You Know Someone Who is Making a Difference in North Fulton? Visit NorthFultonLiving.com/hero to tell us about them!

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Photography by John Haigwood of Haigwood Studios.

It is the mission of the Wills Park Youth Baseball Association to promote the development of strong character, a right attitude, a sense of responsibility and citizenship in youngsters, using the game of baseball as a vehicle. WPYBA is the home for more than 1,250 baseball players (spring/fall) from Alpharetta and surrounding areas. WPYBA is committed to “Youth Excellence” and promoting an environment where winning and losing help develop character and lessons in life.

Where did your passion for this cause originate?

My passion for baseball and the ability to give back was something that I inherited and patterned after my mom and dad. Growing up as a child, I watched my mom and dad put in countless hours giving back to our community and volunteering to do whatever it took to make sure everyone had a chance to play.

What’s the most important lesson that you have learned in this experience?

The importance of surrounding myself with others that have the same passion and dedication that I have. The WPYBA Board of Directors works countless hours as volunteers, and their commitment and dedication has made a difference in our success as a park and community.

What has been one of your most rewarding experiences?

Personally the most rewarding part is not the impact I have had on the children, but the impact the children have had on me. Seeing the players grow into young adults, the smile on their face when on the field, and the thank you that they give me for being part of their baseball experience.

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For more information visit www.wpyba.org Photography by Haigwood Studios.

You would expect that after finishing the last final exam, most students would avoid anything having further to do with school. But on the first day of this past summer, the rising senior class of King’s Ridge Christian School gathered together with something in mind. To be fair, it involved planning a certain trip. But not the kind you might expect from teenagers.

Meeting with the school’s director of Christian life, Glenn Archer, at Starbucks, the students shared something that truly amazed him. “They told me if they could do anything this year together as a class it would be a mission trip,” Archer explains. “That’s what they wanted to prioritize as their senior experience—ahead of homecoming, prom and everything else.”

The root of that desire can be traced to the overall mission of the private Alpharetta school, which is to be a community “providing a college preparatory education and equipping students to know, to serve and to believe.” The equipping component has been the theme for this academic school year: “Take Action with a Servant’s Heart,” and those acts of service have included numerous mission trips to share hope and love in places such as rural Kentucky, the Lighthouse Family Retreat Center for families of cancer patients, Jamaica and Africa, where hurt, neglect, disease and despair occupy the lives of many.

“In the Bible, 1 Timothy 6:18 tells us to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share, so it’s our great desire to create a heart for serving God and others in our students—to have them actually participate in the effort rather than just making a donation,” Archer states. “It also creates an opportunity for our students to not just serve alongside each other, but also with staff and family members who accompany them.”

This past summer, 60 members of the King’s Ridge community traveled to Swaziland in Africa for a 10-day mission trip. The goals were to help improve the New Hope Children’s Center that houses 45 orphans victimized by the AIDS pandemic, build relationships with those in the community and plant gardens to help provide sources of ongoing nourishment.

Heather Watry, a ninth grader, and her sixth-grade sister Jenna were part of the group that also included their parents Carl and Lisa. The experience impacted not only the area where they served, but their own lives as well. “Although we went to Africa to make a difference in the lives of the children and the community, we didn’t expect the huge gift they gave us in return,” Lisa explains. “We truly feel blessed, and will never be the same.”

With several school-sponsored trips already completed in recent years, and more planned for this year, students are getting experiences that extend well beyond anything the classroom setting could provide. “Whether serving locally, regionally or globally, these opportunities are opening a whole new window for our King’s Ridge students, showing them that Alpharetta, Ga. is not the real world,” explains Lisa McGuire, direction of admissions and marketing for the school. “They realize the people they’re serving may have very different circumstances, but they’re not much different from us—we’re all God’s children.”

“Christ told us that to become great, you must become a servant—that’s how we’ll truly be recognized by others and is where we’ll get our joy,” Archer adds.

While the college preparatory education will carry King’s Ridge students through the next four years after high school, the experience of these mission trips will undoubtedly carry them through the rest of their lives.

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To learn more about King’s Ridge Christian School and its acts of service, visit www.kingsridgecs.org Matt Wilson is local freelance writer who can be reached at matt@inkforhire.com