Greensburg — Sister Patricia O'Bryan has devoted her life to children.

A former educator and principal "for about a hundred years" - by her facetious estimation - "Sister Pat" has taken her lifelong love of "the least of these" and turned it into a project focused on helping families through difficult times. Through it all, the goal is to provide a Christian-based safe home for children before the intervention of Child Protective Services (CPS) or the Department of Child Services (DCS) becomes a necessity.

The Edelweiss House, Sister Pat hopes, is just such a place.

A sprawling, picturesque 150-acre expanse located in the Decatur County countryside is currently home to a few young children - kids whose parents are struggling for any number of reasons. These reasons may be domestic or financial, but whatever the case, the children have been legally signed over into the care of Sister Pat and her fellow volunteers for a specific period of time.

Contrary to placement in a foster home, children at Edelweiss House have a solid date on which they will return to their parents or caregivers. In the meantime, the children's parents can work on their personal struggles with the knowledge that their youngsters are receiving adequate care from a trusted source.

Edelweiss House is an official 501(c)3 non-profit domestic corporation begun in 1997. It exists on the good graces of donations and contributions alone, as no state or federal funds support the institution.

Buoyed by love, faith and little more, Sister Pat and her volunteers strive to create a strong but temporary foundation for children while they're in the care of Edelweiss. And though the children's parents are busy tending to pressing matters at home, they are far from absent from their children's lives - in fact

communication is encouraged.

"We ask them to call them (the kids) every night," said Patricia. "We want them to talk with their parents."

Parents are also allowed to pick up their children on the weekends if they so choose.

Throughout the rest of the week, those kids take part in light housekeeping duties, tend to school studies and homework and even help in age-appropriate ways in dinner preparations. There's also plenty of time for exercise and games. The environment, insists Sister Pat, is warm and caring. The setting is structured and disciplined, but not too strict.

"Family life is so important," Sister Pat explained. "These little kids are our future and what we do with them now is what they'll remember and do when they're older."

To that end, Patricia O'Bryan believes positive reinforcement leads to positive results. She chooses "a spoonful of honey" over "a spoonful of vinegar" in her approach to child care. She also said that building on the foundation the kids have at home is another important tool in use at Edelweiss. Adding to good values the children already possess can only help matters, Sister Pat believes.

The children are complimented when they do well and often receive encouragement.

"There's no yelling or hollering," said O'Bryan. "We try to strengthen their good habits."

Much of that encouragement stems from Sister Pat's Christian faith.

Throughout the three home-like buildings of Edelweiss House, this faith is on literal display.

Multiple paintings of Christ adorn the facility as do various Psalms and inspirational phrases.

"There are a great deal of Christian values behind it," said Sister Pat of her work at Edelweiss. "We hold to those values here."

One point Sister Pat is quick to make is that Edelweiss House is nothing close to a vacation spot, nor is it a baby-sitting service. Instead, the group focuses solely on families with young children who are struggling. The need for care and assistance must be clear before Sister Pat and company can do their work. The line between those seeking help and those wishing for "a little time without the kids" is clear and distinct, and no exceptions will be made. Edelweiss House intends to keep the family unit strong and together in the end.

Aware of how difficult such a separation - no matter how short term - can be, Sister Pat and her volunteers (all of whom must submit to an in-depth background screening process) encourage expression and allow the children to let out their emotions when necessary.

"If we can help them get all the hurt and pain out, then the love of God can come in," O'Bryan insists. It's all part of what Sister Pat calls "very personalized care," which is specific for each child placed in her care. Parents must inform the Edelweiss founder and executive director of allergies, medications or any potential medical conditions their child may have.

Helping the children of struggling families is still only part of what Edelweiss House has set out to accomplish.

The group actively helps parents search for employment or ways to obtain financial assistance. There is no charge for the children to stay and receive food and care at Edelweiss House. Sister Pat can also be reached at any time for advice or assistance.

"It's all about prevention," said Patricia O'Bryan. "Our goal is to keep families together before the state has to step in."

More information about Edelweiss House can be found on the web at www.edelweisshouse.org. Emails can be sent to edelweissdir@juno.com. Sister Patricia can also be reached by phone at (812) 662-7589 or (812) 375-4344.



Contact: Brent Brown 812-663-3111 x7056