In 2006, Garrett Golliday nervously walked through the doors of The WARM Place not knowing what to expect. Earlier that year, his father died in a car wreck and it changed his whole world. On his first day, he met a friendly man named Hutch Beach who took Garrett under his wing. Pam Golliday, Garrett’s mom, said that once he met Hutch he wasn’t nervous about coming to group anymore. Although Garrett was only 6 years old, he still remembers Hutch’s long white hair and his infamous sandals.
Hutch has been a volunteer facilitator with the children’s group for over 12 years now. He first got started when he heard about the opportunity from a friend. Hutch also experienced the death of a parent when he was 17 years old and later the death of his sister. He said the moment he heard about the mission of The WARM Place he was hooked. Hutch had been facilitating for about 4 years when he met this remarkable young man. He remembers how hard the death loss was for Garrett when he first arrived. “It was a pleasure to watch him heal and grow”, says Hutch. “He quickly became a junior facilitator and helped other new kids feel comfortable.”
Garrett said that he was so grateful because Hutch was there the entire 2 years of his time at The WARM Place. Before he left, Hutch told Garrett’s mom that he was a leader and had taken other children under his wing. He encouraged him to come back and be a facilitator when he got older.
Garrett now participates in Boy Scouts, and is an active volunteer in the community. He and his mom have also started volunteering as houseparents to serve other families here at The WARM Place. He is a living testimony of how one man’s commitment has truly impacted a life for the better. In the words of Garrett himself, he said “It always seemed really sunny at The WARM Place”, and that is why he and his family have chosen to give back.
-Maria Montes, Volunteer Coordinator
