Anchorage Children's Home's mission is to be an Anchor for today's children, strengthening tomorrow's families.

Anchorage Children's Home is a non-profit, Christian organization serving, protecting and strengthening children, families and community. We aspire to develop healthy children and families within the Christian values of hope, caring, respect, responsibility, equality, integrity, leadership, humility, and self-discipline.

In 1983, McElvey Home, the vision of a local haven for hard to place teens who had suffered abuse or severe neglect, became a reality as the result of the tireless and compassionate efforts of a small group of concerned citizens. Anchorage was born to meet a critical need of those who no one else would serve. This culture of compassion and community partnership continues in Anchorage's services today.
In 1985, with the addition of Hidle House Anchorage's vision expanded to include homeless youth who run away, were thrown away, or at-risk due to their family life.

In 2005, in response to a community critical need for foster homes, Anchorage began serving infants and pre-school aged children who had suffered abuse or severe neglect through Catherine's Shelter.
Anchorage continues to provide a continuum of care for at-risk and abused and neglected children, youth and their families, 24 hours a day, 7 days through screening, assessment, case management and counseling, basic shelter, and non-residential aftercare services. From its humble beginning with a $90,000 dollar budget in 1983 to its present success as a nationally accredited service provider, we maintain our culture of caring that makes the difference in the lives of children, youth and their families. We will continue to pursue our vision through community partnership and proven best practices that have served our children and youth well for many years.

Anchorage Children's Home, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors that is an essential component of the ability to effectively manage programs since its inception in 1983. We ensure that our Board membership is reflective of the gender, racial and cultural composition of the community we serve; is knowledgeable of the needs of youth who have multiple problems; act as advocates for youth services; and are in positions of authority and influence within the community. They represent a reasonable cross-section of our community and include former service recipients. In bi-monthly, meetings the Board of Directors reviews administrative, financial and programmatic progress toward agency goals and objectives.

Jeremy Bennett, Chair
Vision Bank

Holly Melzer, Vice Chair
Attorney, Barron & Redding

Al McCambry, Treasurer
Knology

John Johnson, Secretary
CPA, Segers, Sowell, Stewart, Johnson & Brill PA

John Daly, At-Large
Panama City Beach Fire Chief

Carolyn Battle, At-Large
Battle Memorial Funeral Home

Rhonda Mayo, Immediate Past Chair

Monica Banton
Dr. Keith Banton's Office

Brenda Brock
Sun Trust Bank

Susan Clark
Bay Bank & Trust

Mary Marie Clemo
Royal American Management

Jackie Connor
Retired

Joseph T. Manning
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC.

Jim Gardner
Counts Real Estate

Nicole Eisenbrown, MD
Panama City Urology Center

Wanda Gangwisch
Drs. Gangwisch, Melzer & Grandy

Anderson Edwards
Tyndall Federal Credit Union

David Powell
Stewart Title Company

For a copy of our most recent 990 please contact our Finance Office

Anchorage is a member of child, youth and family organizations such as the
Florida Network of Youth and Families, Southeastern Network of Youth and Families, Florida Coalition for Children, & the National Network for Youth

Anchorage is also nationally accredited through the Council on Accreditation.

Board Members and staff participate in varied activities such as serving on Boards, committees and workgroups in the local community and statewide. Examples include the Hunger and Homeless Coalition of Bay County, Bay Area Partnership for Affordable Housing, Bay County Chamber of Commerce, Bay and Jackson County Juvenile Justice Council, the CASE Coalition, the Calhoun and Bay County Councils for Children, Bay County Mental Health Association.