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Everyday Heroes: Lee Baker, Children’s Home of Easton
Former resident gives back as employee, volunteer, mentor
According to the adage, you never really leave a place you love.
Instead, you take part of it with you, and you leave part of
yourself behind.
 Alliance for Children and Families member Children’s Home of Easton,
Pa., has been providing a home to children in need since 1885. And
while all have left a piece of themselves embedded in the fabric of
life at Children’s Home, a few have committed themselves so deeply
that the organization stands better because of their contribution.
That’s how it is with Lee Baker, whose connection with the home
began when he arrived at Children’s Home of Easton as a feisty
four-year-old. It’s a relationship that has continued over the
years, evolving from a parent and son relationship to an employer
and employee. Today, Lee and his childhood home remain linked
through volunteerism.
“I’ve always felt that, as a kid growing up, I received a lot,” says
Lee, 60. “I’ve always been proud of the system at Children’s Home
and, because I received, I always felt good giving back.”
After his boyhood at Children’s Home, Lee served in the military for
a few years—but it didn’t take him long to return to his roots. He
worked for about decade at KidsPeace, which is also an Alliance
member; he and his wife operated a daycare center; and he obtained a
degree in social work.
It was 1972 when Lee returned to Children’s Home of Easton as a
part-time maintenance worker before becoming the new director of
buildings and grounds, his first in a series of full-time jobs at
Children’s Home.
“My undergraduate degree was in social work,” Lee says. “I mentioned
that if anything came up in case work that I was really looking for
a chance in that." Sure enough, when a case worker position opened
up, Lee put his name forward and served Children’s Home of Easton in
this role for three years.
By then, the home’s community services program was ready to offer
Lee new opportunities, first as assistant director and later as
director of community services. These roles made Lee responsible for
the organization’s community-based group homes and foster homes,
hiring staff, and monitoring children’s progress.
 “Lee is a very caring person,” says Gregg Dowty, executive director
and president of Children’s Home of Easton. “At Children’s Home, he
spent a lot of time talking with kids about the things that trouble
them. As director of community services, he spent a lot of time
working to instill in his staff the importance of reaching out to
these children.”
As Lee prepared for his retirement in February 2007, he wanted to
stay connected to the youth of Children’s Home of Easton. Together,
Gregg and Lee planned an apprenticeship program where Lee could
share some of his construction knowledge—he owns Baker Contracting
Service, a general contracting business—with interested Children’s
Home youth.
“Because of his experience growing up here, and because there were
adults then reaching out to help him, Lee has the passion to reach
out and help a new generation of Children’s Home youth,” Gregg says.
“He’s definitely invested in kids, and he wants to see kids succeed,
to improve themselves and make a successful transition into
adulthood.”
The new 10-week, work-study program Gregg and Lee developed launched
last summer, with a second group of youth participating in the fall.
The groups were small, composed of several young adults ages 17-20.
Work included basic plumbing, painting, interior and exterior
construction work, and roofing.
“It went well,” Gregg says. “Lee was teaching basic home improvement
skills, but the biggest thing is that he was providing the kids with
a work ethic.”
For projects, Lee didn’t have to look farther than Children’s Home's
own campus. With his assistance, the youth have reconditioned a
shed, built a pump house for the swimming pool, remodeled on-campus
kitchens, and fixed gutters and downspouts.
“When I put a project together, the young adults are involved in
that from step one to the end. When I go shopping, they go with me
so that they’re introduced to the materials a project requires and
how to develop and stick to a budget,” Lee says.
 “I think the ultimate goal is to provide kids with more hands-on
skills,” he continues. “Even if they never use them, at least they
have some light construction experience. When they have their own
house someday, they can look back on this.”
The experience proves especially practical, he adds, for youth for
whom formal higher education may not be the best path. In
particular, Lee recalls one youth he worked with during the
program’s inaugural summer session. “He definitely will be a
hands-on person,” Lee says. “He wants to get into construction. He
was, and maybe still is, taking a few courses part-time at the
junior college. He’s doing OK, but he’s going to be a hands-on
person. I think the program is very beneficial for him. The diverse
experience he got this past summer gives him some insight into what
direction he might want to go.”
Just as important—or perhaps even more important—than the skills Lee
imparts is his ability to connect personally with youth.
“Above all, it is Lee’s demeanor around kids,” Gregg says, speaking
of the characteristics that make Lee a stand-out volunteer. “Lee is
so open around them, and he’s more than willing to lend an ear. It’s
something others could learn from, that the relationships you
develop with kids are really what it’s all about. It’s about taking
time to listen carefully to what kids are saying, to be thoughtful
about the advice we give them, and to be responsive to their needs.”
Lee acknowledges that the common roots he and Children’s Home youth
share may have something to do with his ability to connect so well
with children.
“I’ve often felt that growing up at Children’s Home gave me some
insight, gave me a little better rapport with kids,” Lee says. “I’ve
been on their side. Kids have so much more going on in their lives
today, so I won’t say that I understand everything that’s going on
with them. But, the life experiences I had growing up in the system
have affected me. If that connection allows me to help one out of
every 10 youth I work with, I’m happy. I’ve done a service.”
To learn more about Children's Home of Easton, visit the
organization's
Web site.
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