History
Faith, Hope & Charity was started by two Storm Lake families in 1967.
It was when Dr. Fred (Doc) and Rose Faine and their five children welcomed baby Brenda into the Faine family. They soon discovered they were not alone. Mike and Mary Smith welcomed baby Becky, the pride of her brothers and sisters. Time passed and Becky and Brenda grew older in an atmosphere of love and care; however, the care needs of these children required more attention as they grew, and their needs often took precedence over their siblings’ needs.
Routines would soon change for the Faine’s, Smith’s and other families of children with special needs. One fateful morning Doc and Rose were shopping for a new car when they ran into Mike Smith. Mike was auctioning a house on Ontario Street and asked Doc for a bid.
“What in the world would I do with a house? I have a comfortable, suitable one,” Doc replied.
Mike continued as a good salesman would. “How about shooting me a bid?” What do you think it’s worth?”
Doc made a bid so low he was certain the house would not be his. That evening, however, Mike dropped by to inform Doc that he was the proud owner of the house, and the deal was made.
The house was in great need of repair and sat vacant for some time. One quiet evening at the Faine home Doc jumped up and, as if a light has snapped on, exclaimed, “I know! I know what we’ll do with that house! Let’s see about making it a home to care for our Brenda and others like her needing special care.” Dr. Fred Faine’s vision was born.
On December 4, 1967, Faith, Hope & Charity of Storm Lake, Iowa, Inc. was created. The name, created by Dr. Faine, described the home’s philosophy: “Faith in our hearts, hope in the future and charity, the provider.”
Faith, Hope & Charity has been there for us whenever we needed them. Over the years they taught Jake life skills during SCL and provided much needed breaks from his negative behaviors. We have been able to relax and enjoy our daughters’ activities knowing that Jake is happy and well cared for.
The skills Jake learned during SCL have carried over into his daily life. We have seen improved listening, following directions and participation in self-care tasks. This makes attending school and appointments, and participating in “outings,” more pleasant and predictable (a good thing!). It has allowed us to include Jake in many family plans and his sisters’ activities with much more positive, less stressful results (for all). During the past year and a half, we’ve taken Jake to ISU Football Games including the Insight Bowl in Arizona. Not very long ago we would not have dreamed this would be possible! Thank you Faith, Hope & Charity for being there for all the families you serve.Patti, parent of Jake