By Blake Ragsdale | Editor
Autumn pulls her car around to the front of Indian Memorial Cottage. Except for the driver’s seat, every inch of the vehicle is filled with her belongings. Clothing, bedding, and school supplies are piled in the back seat. A suitcase rests in the passenger seat.
The 19-year-old is saying goodbye to BCH’s Odum Home, the closest thing to home and family she has experienced in some time.
This, however, is not a sad goodbye. Through her own hard work and the care and support of BCH, Autumn is headed to North Carolina State University for her first year of college. It has been a long journey to this moment, where one chapter closes and a bright new page turns.
“I wanted to go to college ever since I was in elementary school,” says Autumn. She has always recognized academics as a priority and embraced opportunities to learn and grow even during challenges she has faced in her young life.
Coming to Odum Home in Pembroke
Since November 2024, Autumn has lived at Odum Home in Pembroke, in the cottage with the people she has come to call her “sisters” and her “mom.” Her sisters are the other school-aged girls who, like Autumn, came into the custody of North Carolina’s foster care system because of difficult circumstances.
Her mom, “Miss D.,” is Denise Lewis. As a BCH houseparent, Denise lives with the girls. She provides daily care and a listening ear, and she lives out the compassionate love of Christ.
“I introduced myself, and she told me who she was,” Denise recalls. “After everybody had left the room, I told her, ‘I know you’re not used to trusting people, but if you trust me, I promise you I’ll take good care of you.’ And that’s what I’ve tried to do.”
Coming to BCH and living at Indian Memorial Cottage was a very different experience for Autumn. The cottages, which are a part of BCH’s statewide continuum of care for children in foster care, are family-style homes where typically around eight to 10 children can live.
“When I heard Odum Home is where I was going, I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was a beautiful campus. I was right beside the university (UNC Pembroke), which is a dream thing,” says the lifelong learner.
Learning cottage life and living with the other girls, who are of all ages, was an adjustment for the teenager.
“My first thought was, ‘Who are these little kids? They talk a lot,’” she laughs. “I was very uncomfortable with eating together with other people, but I got used to it. Miss D. was doing her best to help me transition, so that was nice.”
Learning to call a houseparent mom
In the weeks that followed, the relationship between Autumn and Denise continued to develop as the teenager settled into the cottage.
“Maybe a month or two after I was there, I wanted to call her ‘mom’ but wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with it,” Autumn explains. “I finally asked if it was okay if I called her my mom. I think she was really happy that I asked that.”
“Autumn would say to me, ‘You’re a good mom, not just to me but to the other girls,’” Denise shares humbly.
As they lived life together, Autumn came to see the other girls as family, just as she had come to see Denise as mom.
“We live together, we eat together, we talk and have fun. We also have arguments sometimes. It’s pretty much everything siblings would do,” she explains. “I also think it’s just natural. I was just drawn towards it.”
School, scholarships and a path to NC State
Autumn was also drawn towards academic success. Coming to Odum Home meant relocating to Pembroke and enrolling in a new high school. It was a challenge, but her desire to thrive in school made Autumn ready to tackle it.
“I had to restart making connections. My school counselor, she really cared about me,” she says. “I was taking AP and honors classes, which were fine, but I personally think weren’t challenging enough.”
Autumn earned A’s throughout high school, with the exception of a single B. She had learned to persevere in her classes well before coming to live at BCH.
“Before Odum Home, even when she was going through difficult times, she was making all A’s,” Denise says.
What cottage life at Odum Home looks like
Cottage life is structured much like any family home. At dinnertime, the girls usually sit down and eat together. Everyone helps with chores. There’s a routine for getting ready for school.
“We’re usually up by 7. We have devotions. And we’re ready and waiting in the living room for the bus or if they are taking us to school. We’re at school by 7:50,” Autumn explains.
As the oldest girl in the cottage, Autumn naturally took on a big-sister role, especially when it came to school.
“Being the oldest, I would help tutor them,” she says. “Education’s very important, and it’s something we should put all of our heart into.”
Autumn demonstrated her passion for education by going after opportunities to further her own learning. Last summer, she completed a paid geoscience internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The income helped her reach another goal: buying her first car.
Autumn actively pursued a number of scholarships. She received the Horatio Alger Scholarship to help with her NC State tuition. But Autumn wasn’t focused only on her own goals. She also sought out and received a scholarship from the Lindsey Vonn Foundation that funded educational resources and other items for the cottage.
“Autumn has been the best big sister to the other girls,” Denise says. “She wrote a story about her life and won $1,000. When she received the check, she immediately said she was taking everyone out to eat. I asked her, ‘You’re going to treat the whole cottage?’ And she said, ‘I’m going to take my sisters and my mom out. That’s what I always wanted to do.’”
With her car packed, Autumn hugs Denise tightly, knowing her mom will continue to be there for her as she begins the next chapter of her story. She looks back on her time at BCH with a grateful heart.
“I’m very thankful for people who give and want to help,” Autumn says. “And not even just for me, but people who help my sisters, people who help Miss D., and all the people at Odum. It’s pretty awesome.”
Residential Care is one of the ways BCH provides caring, safe homes to children in foster care. Learn more at bchfamily.org/our-ministries
Questions about Odum Home and residential care
What is Odum Home?
Odum Home is one of BCH’s residential care locations, in Pembroke, North Carolina. Children live in family-style cottages with houseparents. Autumn lived in Indian Memorial Cottage at Odum Home from November 2024 until she left for college.
What is residential care for children?
Residential care provides a safe, family-style home for children who cannot live with their own families. BCH’s cottages are part of a statewide continuum of care for children in foster care, and around eight to 10 children typically live in each one with their houseparents.
What does a houseparent do?
Houseparents live in the cottage and care for the children every day. Denise Lewis, the houseparent Autumn calls “Miss D.,” provides daily care and a listening ear, and lives out the compassionate love of Christ.
How is residential care different from foster care?
In foster care, a child lives with a licensed family in that family’s own home. In residential care, a child lives in a family-style cottage with houseparents. Children come to Odum Home through the same system, and many, like Autumn, came into the custody of North Carolina’s foster care system.
What happens when a young adult leaves BCH’s care?
BCH keeps walking alongside them. Autumn left Odum Home for North Carolina State University carrying a Horatio Alger Scholarship and a scholarship from the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, along with a car she bought using income from a paid internship.
How can I support children at Odum Home?
You can give, serve at a Friends of Children workday, or become a prayer partner and lift up the children and houseparents at Odum Home.
