In the News
A Brave Woman and her “Silent Partner”
Epworth Life Skills Trainers Named Child Care Workers of the Year
A crowd of more than 125 people rose to give them a standing ovation. The victim of a cowardly act went forward to accept an award along with the man who rushed to her side and calls himself “her silent partner.” At the recent meeting of the Nebraska Association of Homes and Services for Children held in Omaha, David Becker and Jacque Bethune were both honored with the prestigious “The Lucy J. Nevels 2008 Child Care Worker of the Year” award.
On September 24, 2007, Becker and Bethune were forever bonded by an unprecedented moment in Epworth’s 119-year history, a single gun shot. It was another night working at Epworth Village’s Coleman Treatment Group Home. Becker and Bethune were doing the work they love to do, caring and teaching basic life skills to children from all walks of life. They were working in the office, doing paperwork and anticipating the morning hours when they would arouse the children from their sleep and help them get ready for breakfast and school. This night was different however. At approximately 12:45 a.m. Becker and Bethune both thought they heard a sound coming from downstairs. Becker went to the front set of stairs to check out the situation. Then, from the back set of stairs, he heard a loud bang. As Becker returned to the office, he found Bethune bleeding and hunched over the computer. He rushed to her aid, called 9-1-1 and assured that each child in the house was safe.
Three days after that unimaginable incident occurred, Becker was back to work at Coleman Treatment Group Home. Bethune returned to work just four months later after suffering a severe injury to her jaw. Today, the surgeries are not done and the memories are still there; however, the two dedicated Life Skills Trainers are not willing to give up on the children they serve. The assailant and motive remains unknown for this horrible crime. However, fear has not stifled the desire by two brave people to continue working to change the lives of their neighbors.
“As far as I’m concerned anyone working in this field is a hero, not only the staff but the kids as well. Everyone at Epworth pulled together over this,” Becker said. “We try and teach the boys to stand up and face the issues in their lives. What would we be teaching them by running away after this occurred?”
“I’m too stubborn,” Bethune said. “What I do here is more important than what happened that night. I could not just leave.”
Epworth Village’s logo is a butterfly, a symbol meant to depict the positive “metamorphosis” that occurs in the lives of the boys the agency serves. Becker noted the logo in relationship to the theory of the “butterfly effect,” “Scientists describe this effect as the idea that although seemingly a small and insignificant creature, the butterfly can flap its wings and cause changes in the weather. Together, butterflies may cause a hurricane or stop one from occurring. The work we do at Epworth is not much different. The children we work with are facing so many issues in their lives. If we do not step up and try and help them who will? I always tell myself, ‘If I can just change one life that is what matters.’”
After such a frightening event, Becker and Bethune could have made the choice to leave Epworth’s program forever. However, like the “butterfly effect” they chose to continue spreading their wings and wrapping them around the lives of children and families hurting across Nebraska. They chose to face the event with positive wings, rather than not face the storm that tried to halt their good work on that near tragic night.
Bethune has another surgery in January. This is the bone graft that will rebuild her jaw. “Then we’re done I hope.” After this, she will complete her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. Becker has no plans of quitting his work at Epworth, “This is the best place I’ve ever worked in my life.”
The community of York, children, families and staff at Epworth join the crowd that arose to applaud the recipients of this prestigious award. Dave Rea, Unit Manager at Coleman Treatment Group Home said, “David and Jacque were both given the opportunity to work in a different living unit. They both declined saying the youngsters at Coleman were counting on their return. These two staff members will forever be bonded by the night of September 24, 2007. This award will be a reminder of their dedication to make this world a better place for children.”