Celebrating 130 Years of Hope: Palmer Home for Children Honors a Legacy of Care and Transformation

 For 130 years, Palmer Home has transformed the lives of children and families across the country—and the work continues.

HERNANDO, Miss., March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For 130 years, Palmer Home for Children has been a place where hope begins. When children face neglect, trauma, or uncertainty, Palmer Home provides safe homes, loving care, and the support they need to heal and thrive. Generation after generation, hope has been the constant—a guiding light for children and families in their darkest moments.

As the organization marks this milestone in March 2025, it is launching a year-long "130 Years of Hope" campaign to celebrate its legacy and expand its reach, ensuring even more children and families receive the support they need.

"For over a century, Palmer Home has stood in the gap for children and families facing life's hardest challenges—and that mission continues today," said Drake Bassett, CEO of Palmer Home for Children. "We have navigated two different centuries, survived world wars and the Great Depression, and remained steadfast in our purpose: to provide stability, care, and hope for children affected by circumstances beyond their control."

A Legacy of Evolving Care

Founded in 1895, Palmer Home began as a safe haven for orphaned children, providing care and shelter to those in need. As the needs of children and families have evolved nationwide, so has Palmer Home—expanding its services to provide solutions that address the increasing demands for foster care placement, trauma-informed care, and comprehensive child and family services.

Today, Palmer Home serves children through a range of programs, including residential care, foster care placement, transitional support for young adults, and its Whole Child Initiative, which equips caregivers, educators, and organizations with trauma-informed training to create nurturing environments where children can heal, grow, and thrive.

In 2024 alone, Palmer Home served 268 children across 14 states, providing the care and stability they needed to move forward. Through its programs:

• 6 children were reunited with their biological families
• 3 high school students and 2 college students graduated
• Tutors provided 208 hours of academic support
• Children received 565 hours of therapy

Palmer Home prioritizes family preservation and reunification whenever possible, working closely with biological families to create safe and stable homes. In 2024, one child was adopted into a permanent, loving home when reunification was not an option.

Many children today face barriers to stability, from unsafe housing and educational struggles to the long-term effects of trauma. Without support, young adults aging out of care often experience homelessness, unemployment, or uncertainty about their future. Palmer Home remains committed to filling these gaps, ensuring that every child receives stability, guidance, and a strong foundation for the future.

"For Palmer Home, it has always been about introducing hope into the lives of struggling families," Bassett said. "What we provide is more than care—it's an opportunity for families to see a path forward. And for many, that's what hope is."

Join the Celebration

On March 13, Palmer Home will officially launch its 130th Anniversary Campaign, beginning with the release of a special video message from Drake Bassett, reflecting on the organization's history, impact, and vision for the future.

Throughout the year, Palmer Home will provide opportunities for the community to engage, give, and celebrate this milestone together. The campaign will include:

• Storytelling initiatives that highlight real stories of transformation from children, families, and supporters, since Palmer Home's founding.
• Community-driven giving opportunities, empowering individuals to be part of Palmer Home's next chapter.

"Reaching 130 years is not just a celebration of the past—it's a commitment to the future," Bassett said. "Together with our community, we can continue to create stories of healing, hope, and transformation for generations to come."

How to Support

As a privately funded nonprofit, 100% of donations go directly to operational costs, ensuring children receive the housing, education, counseling, and care they need. Every gift—large or small—helps provide food, shelter, therapy, and educational support for children in need.

To be part of Palmer Home's 130 Years of Hope—whether through giving, advocating, or sharing our mission. Learn more or donate today at palmerhome.org/donate.

To stay in touch with Palmer Home's 130th anniversary celebration, follow Palmer Home for Children on Facebook and Instagram.

Access the 130th anniversary media kit, which includes the campaign introduction video, archival images, a historical timeline, and more details on Palmer Home's legacy and celebration.

About Palmer Home for Children

Palmer Home for Children is a privately funded, nonprofit organization that has provided superior care to vulnerable children for 130 years. Palmer Home provides Campus Care, Foster Care, Family Care and Transitional Care to meet the specific needs of each child and family. The Whole Child Initiative, Palmer Home's approach to care, emphasizes child development by focusing on five components: social wellbeing, physical development, emotional healing, educational support, and spiritual growth. For more information, visit www.palmerhome.org.

SOURCE Palmer Home for Children