Published: December 22, 2008 09:22 pm      

Local group home invites public to see the sights

ORANGE — Driving through neighborhoods to see Christmas lights is an activity many families do together during the holiday season. One local group home goes the extra mile to encourage it.

The Marlinda Children’s Ranch is a group foster home within the Therapeutic Family Life system, and is located on Bob Hall Road in Orange. The home, occupied by a dozen smiling foster children, invites the public to visit its contribution to the Christmas season.

Numerous scenes are depicted on the property as guests are encouraged to drive through the horse-shoe like driveway to view a live version of the Nativity scene, The Grinch, a snowman, and Santa and his elves and some unique looking reindeer.

Leon Smith, the executive director of Therapeutic Family Life, said today is the final day of the five night run.

“A lot of local people know who we are and where we are, but it hasn’t been as well attended this year,” Smith said during a telephone interview. “Some people probably assumed we wouldn’t do it this year because of the amount of hurricane damage people had.”

This is the fifth year for the live Christmas event at the Marlinda Children’s, although it was not held in 2005 and 2006 due to Hurricane Rita-related issues.

This year’s event began last Friday and concludes tonight. The public is invited to visit the TFL location during the hours of 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., today, and enjoy the Christmas spirit.

“What’s important about this is how the kids feel,” Smith added. “They really put a lot of hard work into it, and they love being able to give back to the community.”

Where Rita “wiped out everything,” Ike caused minimal damage to the facility.

“We left everything like it was last year really,” Smith continued. “We hope to increase the event in size next year and want to see it grow in the future.”

Smith said the purpose in producing this Christmas scenic event each year it to encourage the children to participate. It helps with their emotional stability, and promotes the true reason for the season, as Smith put it, because TFL is a Christian agency.

According to Smith, in a previous interview, he and his wife, Virginia, co-founded TFL in 1993. The Marlinda ranch, named for former owners Marlon and Linda Thompson and one of two homes in Orange, was purchased by the Smiths as one of the first TFL homes in 1993. Smith and his wife, both Orange natives, were friends with the Thompsons for years before the couple was killed in a plane crash.

Therapeutic Family Life is under contract with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to take care of children who have been neglected, physically and sexually abused and emotionally scarred that the state has taken them out of their primary homes.

“Tonight is the last night of our event until next year,” Smith added. “We want people to come out and enjoy the sights, plus, it will let the children know how much people appreciate their hard work.”