Said Bellemare, “Even our maintenance department got involved by helping make some of the frames.”

   He added, “As soon as PTI staff hears ‘Bradley,’ they just jump right in.”

   The two schools also worked together to produce some 3D art. Tudor said they scheduled some evenings to go to Bradley with PTI students. Towing along art supplies, students painted birdhouses, made modge podge crafts and jewelry, a quilt and pillows.

   During one outing, Bradley’s students came to the PTI campus to work on art projects.

   Lisa Fox, Bradley’s chief executive officer, said the visits at PTI by Bradley’s students were both an inspiration for her students and an eye-opener for PTI students.

   “Bradley students look at PTI students with the hope that perhaps they can go to a school like that someday; they see this as an option for them, she expressed.

   Fox said some PTI students said they learned a valuable lesson through this process. “Giving back -- there is always someone who has it worse than you do, and for these students to experience the circumstances that many of our students at Bradley are in, they know how fortunate they are.”

   PTI’s Linda Allan, director of public relations, added, “Not only did Bradley students get to create art and express themselves, they saw the end result of their creativity on display. Knowing the public is purchasing something they created is a huge morale booster for them.”

   The Mall at Robinson has been tremendously supportive of the partnership and the display. They hosted the Bradley students to visit the mall when the exhibit opened, serving them pizza and ice cream. The Mall at Robinson also assumed responsibility for handling payments, receipts and thank you letters for art pieces.

   The sale continues through July 30. Prices start at $5 and go up to $100. All donations are tax-deductible. Visitors can also contribute to The Bradley Center’s Wish List, available at the mall’s customer service desk through July 30.

   Partnering with community organizations is one of the strong suits that PTI students and staff can be proud of over the years. This one in particular, however, has brought dividends for both The Bradley Center and PTI that can’t be measured for the difference they have made in each other’s lives.

   Said Tudor, “This show and sale is a reflection of PTI’s commitment to developing graduates who possess not just marketplace skills but who are stewards of community involvement and service.”

About the Bradley Center/PTI Partnership       

   Since 2005, the schools have worked together on numerous community service projects to benefit The Bradley Center.

   According to Mark Bellemare, supporting The Bradley Center has become a part of the educational experience at PTI, where students and employees are grateful for the opportunity to serve. Each year, the Santa Project engages PTI students who shop for Bradley students, then wrap and deliver hundreds of gifts and stockings for different age groups at the school. Bellemare said this project has been ongoing for seven or eight years. Over those years, he estimates over a thousand gifts have been purchased and made available to The Bradley Center students.

   PTI also started an Adopt-A-Birthday program benefiting the children at the Bradley Center. Every student celebrating a birthday at the Bradley Center receives a birthday gift purchased by a PTI employee or student. Thank you cards are created and sent back to PTI where they are proudly displayed throughout the school.

   Holidays such as Halloween and Easter include a trick or treat candy event or an egg hunt, respectively. Throughout the year, PTI hosts Bradley students at the school for pizza and movie night, shown on the big screen at the school.

About the Bradley Center        

   The Center was founded in 1905 as an orphanage, when Elizabeth Bradley opened her home to six orphaned children. Nearly a century later, the school, located in Robinson Township, provides treatment services to approximately 100 boys and girls ages six through 18 who are experiencing emotional, developmental and behavioral health problems. Additional children attend Bradley’s day school.

   Most of the children at Bradley have endured serious trauma. Many suffer from mental illness and behavioral health issues. All of the youth have been through other systems, whether it was a hospital, foster home, or treatment facility, but have yet to receive the help they need.

   The center provides treatment services and school-based programs, serving as a temporary, intensive mental health treatment facility where children with mental, emotional, and behavioral disabilities receive 24-hour care and therapy.

   The length of stay varies, depending on the child and family’s progress in treatment. The children attend school at Bradley, which has a licensed academic private school program. Professional licensed educators work with students.