Group home makes at-risk girls family

Golden Girl Group Home is a family. For Judy Gilkerson, for her daughter, for her granddaughter, and for hundreds of lost girls, it is a place to flourish.

[scam]

Golden Girls INC.- scams the state for untold amounts of money- the staff allow the girls - UNDERAGE girls - to smoke and even provide them with cigarettes and allow everything else you can imagine while looking the other way so they can add another house and keep on bringing the girls in - cha ching Dont Believe me? look for the girls they are always in the alley - But they always send out such pretty Christmas cards asking for donations and bragging about all the girls they have "helped" Give me a break

[COUGAR]

I agree with scam. I know for a fact that the staff and people who run this home are nothing but cheats. They take big trips that the girls are supposed to go on, but the staff take there families instead. Give me a break you people will have your place in hell. The girls run the staff.I went to a Jason Crab concert that was raising money for the group home. It was awful to listen to the Lady how runs that home beg for money and brag about what they do for these girls. Just one big lie.

[TruthBtold]

Amen! Save the children - from those that are supposed to be "helping" them!!!!!!

[COUGAR]

Does anyone know who you would contact to investagate what goes one there. They have to answer to someone.

[Mercy]

It looks like from the article that the DHHR supports them, so they won't investigate them. You could call the attorney general's office and see if they know. If they are collecting money for the girls and using it on themselves maybe they will get involved.

[Beth]

Mercy wrote:

It looks like from the article that the DHHR supports them, so they won't investigate them. You could call the attorney general's office and see if they know. If they are collecting money for the girls and using it on themselves maybe they will get involved.

You all are crazy> I am a retired teacher in the area. I used to teach the girls there every day and none of this is true. You people should be sued for slander and I will testify on their behalf. Talk it up.

[Past Golden Girls Worker]

I worked there and some of the stories I could tell you. They do help the some of the girls but Golden Girl's are mostly in for the money. Nice Scam going!

[Oh Please]

Someone please explain to me how providing a girl a place to live & sleep when they would otherwise by stuck in a family that abuses the girl, drugs, or alcohol, is a scam? These girls could be out in the streets of Huntington (or wherever they're from) getting into drugs or worse, hanging out with people that would have a much worse influence on them than anyone they'll find in Kenova. The reason they're constantly asking for money is because they need it for the growing number of girls they take in. They're responsible for almost every aspect of these girls lives- from their every day living expenses like clothes, hygiene, etc. down to Christmas presents (that are sometimes donated from the community, but not all). I can testify that if the girls there under 18 smoke, the ones in charge don't know it and/or support it.

It's ridiculous that you people are bad-mouthing the place. Why don't you take in a girl that has a bad family life and try to raise her? It's HARD. They're teenagers with attitudes, not to mention terrible pasts. Try looking at it from the girls point of view & quit bitching.

[If yousay so]

Oh Please wrote:

Someone please explain to me how providing a girl a place to live & sleep when they would otherwise by stuck in a family that abuses the girl, drugs, or alcohol, is a scam? These girls could be out in the streets of Huntington (or wherever they're from) getting into drugs or worse, hanging out with people that would have a much worse influence on them than anyone they'll find in Kenova. The reason they're constantly asking for money is because they need it for the growing number of girls they take in. They're responsible for almost every aspect of these girls lives- from their every day living expenses like clothes, hygiene, etc. down to Christmas presents (that are sometimes donated from the community, but not all). I can testify that if the girls there under 18 smoke, the ones in charge don't know it and/or support it.
It's ridiculous that you people are bad-mouthing the place. Why don't you take in a girl that has a bad family life and try to raise her? It's HARD. They're teenagers with attitudes, not to mention terrible pasts. Try looking at it from the girls point of view & quit bitching.

Golden Girls is a state paid organization and they recieve funds from the state to provide for the girls a flat rate around $600 and then any "therapy" or "counseling" is paid extra per unit per child - I KNOW that services are billed for that are never provided to the girls, I KNOW that the girls participate in things like smoking and or drinking and as long as the money is rolling in the staff look the other way. As for helping these teen with attitudes - if they don't fit in with the program the staff ensure they end up somewhere else - foster care or out of the area if they are "difficult". I'll give you that it's a nice idea in theory, however like most things in Kenova its a nice illusion, but the reality is no where near the hipe.

[facts are]

There are certain levels of care 1-5 with 1 being the least restrictive. Golden Girl is a 1 as GG was established to provide a home to those who had no where else to go, not to house criminals, drug addicts etc. Will teenage girls sneak and smoke, drink, be teenagers? You bet. Try watching 20 teen girls all the time when you are limited as to what you can do. I have been in this community for a long time and can tell you that while GG might not be perfect, they try just like any other household or family.

[aware]

All you have to do is read the comments to know who is uninformed and has an agenda. No one has any facts to wrong doings. Bitch about something you know about.

[Friend of Judy]

How dare you say anything bad about Judy Gilkerson. She is hands Down the nicest woman I have ever encountered in my life. She has devoted her whole life to helping and teaching children. I have known her since I was 10 and now I'm 26 years old. She would give someone the shirt off her back.

[facts]

i lived behind them in the alley for a while and was constantly in arguements with the staff about the smoking,drinking, and littering they were doing on my doorstep at all hours...the girls and staff would smoke and drink together...so yeah they are "trying"

[understand]

That is a lie

[teacher]

They good people

[truth hurts]

Hey I dont know this Judy lady but I would think she would be more informed about how her direct care staff interact with the girls - they do smoke and drink with them and its safe to say that's probably not all. I worked at another facility and at one time planned activities in conjuction with GG - we had to stop it because the behavior of the so called staff and the girls was exactly as stated - smoking, drinking, cursing seemingly no direction or structure for the girls - its sad really

[look around]

Its not just this place many state funded agencies take advantage - anyone have someone come sit with the elderly? they watch tv, steal meds and get granny to sign that they have in 8hrs when they may have spent 1hr "working" Anyone ever see some punk dgagging around a mentally challenged person who is hitting themselves and crying while the person chats it up with thier friends oblivious to the discomfort of the "client"? Golden Girls is about the same - they play it up and put the "pretty" girls on the Christmas card and get them to say a well rehearsed speech about how much they have been helped, when the reality is they perpetuate the manipulation of state funds.

[At gggh]

The people who are saying bad things about gg don't really no what they are talking about. Do the girls smoke? yes sometimes. Do they drink when they get a chance. They are teeagers. Do the staff stop them more then you know. For the pass staff saying these things, there is a reason why they are no longer working there. There are girls there that smoking is a small problem They have alot of bigger ones. For those of you who are talking bad maybe you need to find something better with your time them to put down people who are trying to help these girls. Maybe you should spend sometime doing something good for someone. Maybe go to church and say a pray for forgivness for talking about others.

[Stands by GGGH]

I think it is pretty sad that some of you would get on here and bash a group home that is helping young girls. What good have you done? When was the last time you helped someone in need? Why must you always see a scam. Of course they ask for money. The state does not provide much at all to take care of the girls. For the ones that have said such negative things towards Golden Girl. How about spending an evening there volunteering and get to know the girls and staff. I bet by the time you leave you will think differently. For the staff that has worked there and now are on here bashing GG. I believe At GGGH said it best. there is a reason as to why you are no longer there. To sit at your computer and bash a group home and to join in on the gossip shows what kind of person you really are. I think maybe you should look in the mirror and see who that person is looking back. I feel sorry for people like you.

[seriously]

Dont be so blind that you just accept any BS you hear either for or against this or other places - What have I done? Im part of an investigative team that monitors complaints on state paid facilities - Is GG perfect - not by a long shot - do they have staff issues (allowing the girls to smoke,drink,etc) Yes they do - and they have also been monitored for not providing services billed for. As a previous response states Look around - they are not perfect - is anyone? Before your so quick to judge the former employee, some of us would choose to leave rather than participate in some of the behavior that goes on these facilities. Unfortunately it takes a lot of time to identify,investigate and make changes to these places.