Long before James “Jamie” Fox became a Master Sergeant in the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing, he was a long-time member and participant in programs at The Cabbage Patch.
“I began attending The Patch around the age of nine and feel like I have never left,” Jamie said. “I stopped going ‘all the time’ around the age of eighteen, but stayed involved through volunteering, playing basketball occasionally, and just visiting staff.”
During his years at The Patch, Jamie stayed busy.
“I participated in every activity that I could find time for: baseball, basketball, flag-football, high adventure club, week camps, day camps, and several different trips. I was one of [Rod] Napier’s trainees, I was a camp counselor, I worked for Mr. Chin at several camps, helped with Model Car Club, and I coached basketball teams.” All of these experiences taught Jamie a lot about responsibility and getting along with others.
“The Patch taught me how to work with other people, regardless of their background, to accomplish goals and solve problems,” he said.
“The Patch is an incredible place that has positively affected an ever-growing number of lives.”
Fox said he always looked forward to coming to The Cabbage Patch because he knew it was a safe place to see friends and stay busy.
“For me, it was a place where you knew the staff cared about who you were, how you were, and how things were going in your life,” he said. “They were happy to see you and they cared. To this day my wife always jokes with me that I am the only poor kid she knows that had the opportunity to go on a 100-mile canoe trip, go camping up in New York, and take trips all over the place. The Patch is an incredible place that has positively affected an ever-growing number of lives.”
The Cabbage Patch often discusses the concept of “Winning for Life” with kids who participate in Patch Programs.
“Winning for Life means using all the tools that I learned at The Patch and from my Mom (I was raised by a single mother), and being able to be a productive member of society and a positive role model for my own children as well as those I affect through my volunteering,” he said. “It means giving back for all that has been given to me. I don’t know that I would be where I am today if it weren’t for all that The Patch was for me.”