The Jolene LeRoy Independence Scholarship was established in memory of Jolene LeRoy who served as Bost’s Director of Residential Services from 1989-1995. The scholarship is a lasting memorial to Jolene’s vision that individuals who are capable should have the opportunity to achieve their dream of living on their own. While commonly awarded to one individual each year, the scholarship can also be awarded to two individuals, at the discretion of the LeRoy family.

This Scholarship is awarded to adults seeking greater independence. The LeRoy family reviews the nominations with Nicole Goodyear, Programs Executive Administrator, and the family makes the final decision. The award amount is up to $500 and is presented at the Annual Employee Appreciation event.  This year’s winners were Kim Hunt who received $250 and Richard Stranger received $500. Pictured with Kim and Richard is the Bost Foundation Board President, Chris Stec. Congratulations to our recipients!

Richard Stranger came to Bost, Inc. in April of 1990, with many challenges to overcome. Richard had lived at a group home until he received money from the state and bought a trailer home at Green Acres in Fort Smith Arkansas about 15 years ago. This was a huge accomplishment for Richard; however, through the years the upkeep, maintenance, and cost became overwhelming.  

Home maintenance requires constant attention and gradually this became more than Richard could afford. The walls and floors in his home were rotten and the roof began to leak.  Richard had to make a hard decision. He decided to sell his trailer and to move to North Pointe Apartments, where he qualified for HUD assistance. Here, he was not responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, or lawn care. When Richard moved out of his home, all of his furniture had to be discarded because it was in no shape to be moved. Leaving this all behind was challenging, but nothing upset him more than having to leave his reclining rocking chair. 

With the money from the scholarship, Richard is now able to get the things that he couldn’t afford for his move. He can even purchase the reclining rocking chair that was so hard for him to part with!

Kim Hunt came to Bost, Inc. in January 2000. Kim loves to be out in the community, go to church events, yard sales, (she likes to look at other people’s stuff) and shopping. Kim uses a walker to help her get around. If it was up to her, she would stay out all day long; however, she gets tired fast. Being awarded the Jolene LeRoy Independence Scholarship will allow Kim to purchase a Duet Rollator/ Transporter.  The Duet Rollator/Transporter will help her stay out longer, is easy to fold up, and can easily fit in a car.  This will allow Kim to continue to walk around and get the exercise she needs. Now when she gets tired, instead of going home, staff can transform this equipment into a wheelchair so they can continue their outing.  This will allow Kim to have more independence and continue to allow her access to the community she loves.