The first time Stephanie and Tim Edmondson heard the children’s choir from Palmer Home perform, they knew it was something they wanted to help support.
The Palmer Home choir performed at the event hosted recently at the Edmondson home in Vardaman. The choir travels all over performing in churches and other events.
“We invited them to our church, Reedy’s Chapel,” Stephanie said. “When they sang, that did it for us. We had been praying for something we could get involved in and this was it.”
Palmer Home for Children currently serves nearly 100 children from birth through college age who live year-round on two campuses – one in Columbus and another near Hernando. Palmer Home also provides counseling to the family of origin, foster care, and other family-related services.
Palmer Home is a Christian organization serving individual children as well as sibling groups, teaching traditional family values with a foundation in faith to become responsible, caring adults.
Stephanie and Tim, Edmondson Farms and SMP Southeast Marketing, have been active supporters of Palmer Home and just recently hosted an event at their Vardaman home to help spread the word about all it offers.
“Our hope is to create more interest in what they are doing,” Stephanie said. “It was a great night.”
More than 75 people attended the event that featured a presentation from Palmer Home CEO John Bassett and a performance by the Palmer Home Choir.
“This was the biggest event like this we’ve done,” said Emily Ferril with Palmer Home. “We enjoy these intimate settings to meet with people and help them become more familiar with us.”
Palmer Home is named for Dr. Benjamin Morgan Palmer, a native of South Carolina and perhaps the leading Southern Presbyterian preacher of the nineteenth century. During his more than 50 years as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in New Orleans, Dr. Palmer touched the lives of both small and great, winning wide popular support and public acclaim.
Among Dr. Palmer’s many admirers was William States Jacobs, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbus. The son of the founder of South Carolina’s Thornwell Orphanage, Jacobs arrived in Columbus fresh out of seminary and soon challenged his congregation to start its own orphanage and to name it after Dr. Palmer. The women of First Presbyterian Church became the driving force behind the new orphanage, which was officially chartered by the State of Mississippi on March 13, 1895 and located on the south side of Columbus, MS.
Pictured from left, back, are Denise Lee, Palmer Home Choir Director; Drake Bassett, Palmer Home CEO; Carter and Bettye Edmondson; Emily Ferril; Lynn Atkins, Palmer Home Development; Josh Whelan, Palmer Home Human Resources; front, Stephanie and Tim Jack Edmondson. Photos by Breana Caradine
In 1898, Palmer Home opened the doors of its Lindamood Building, a three-story structure that began admitting children that same year. By 1902, with some 40 children in residence, Palmer Home’s support base grew to include organizations throughout Mississippi and Louisiana.
Palmer Home celebrated its Centennial in 1995, constructed Brotherhood Cottage and Veitch Villa in Columbus, established the second campus near Hernando and added an expanded thrift store, orchard and greenhouse programs.
“We’re a privately funded organization,” Ferril said. “We rely on people to support us, which is why events like the one we had at the Edmondson home in Vardaman is so important.”
Stephanie travels to Palmer Home every Thursday to assist with choir practice and travels some weekends with the choir to performances in churches all over Mississippi and beyond.
She and Tim have also become sponsors where they host Palmer Home children for a weekend.
Edmondson Farms and SMP Southeast Marketing have helped raise funds for the organization by promoting it on sweet potato boxes leaving their facilities and through partnering with their customers to donate a percentage of proceeds during Foster Care Month.
To give to Palmer Home, visit palmerhome.org/donate.