Core Value Award for Relationships- Lakesha Chavis

Methodist Children’s Home (MCH) annually recognizes staff who exemplify our Core Values. Staff are nominated by their peers and recognized at an all-staff meeting.

The Core Values for MCH are:

Christian Principles
Relationships
Responsibility
Growth
Service

Lakesha Chavis, youth care counselor, received the 2017 Core Award for Relationships at the fall all-staff meeting. The recipient of the Core Award for Relationships is someone who builds healthy relationships through communication, respect, trust and love.

According to her nomination, Chavis exemplifies the core value of Relationships through the connections she works hard to build with the youth. She calls the young men in her home unit to a high standard of respect for themselves and each other. The staff respect her ability to connect and build relationships with those youth who are hard to reach.

Additionally, youth from other homes units often seek her out because of the relationships she builds during after-school activities, Camp Rise Up and other events.

Morgan Lyons, unit manager at the Williams Home, said, “Ms. Lakesha is a very quiet lady and that has been a blessing to the Williams Home. Often the boys are loud and rambunctious but she shows them how to sit and have a quality conversation. Because of this, boys open up to her and tell her things that they might not be comfortable sharing with someone else.”

Jason Jackson, lead YCC at the home unit, said Chavis has an individual relationship with every child in the unit, and various youth all over campus. She is highly concerned for the well-being of the staff, as well, and works hard at the home to establish and build trusting relationships with the youth and the staff.