One is left with the distinct impression that parenting comes naturally to Javier and Emma Brand. But the Milton Hershey School also puts them in a position to succeed.

It is a mutually beneficial situation of the purest form. But the real winners are underprivileged children.

Residents of Lititz, Emma and Javier Brand have been married for 33 years. The Brands, who have two grown daughters together, have been relief houseparents at Milton Hershey School student homes for 22 years.

"I come from a very large family," said Javier. "For me, the Milton Hershey environment felt like home. Just cooking for 11 people, a lot of fun and a lot of play."

"When I first heard about (the role of houseparent), I was a little apprehensive because it was something I wasn't accustomed to," said Emma. "We were considering having foster kids. We heard about it through a friend and decided to try it. It didn't take a month for me to fall in love with the kids."

"It's more than a job. It's more like a ministry," continued Emma. "They are children who have been blessed. They are well taken care of. They're given an opportunity to grow. Children need balance, and they need things to be consistent."

"Essentially, what we're trying to do is give continuity to what the full-time houseparents do," said Javier. "It's an enjoyable job because you get to make a difference in children's lives, and you get to do it with your family."

The Brands serve as relief houseparents at a student home at Milton Hershey every other weekend. They go to their assigned student home on Fridays at 6 p.m. and stay there until Sunday at 9:30 p.m.

Some of the Brands' houseparent responsibilities, which are mainly supervisory and mentoring in nature, include cooking and making sure the students in their charge complete homework assignments and household chores. They are also in charge of weekend fun and recreational activities like movies, games, hiking, bicycling and trips to Hersheypark.

"The school is set up to teach the students everything," said Javier. "Our primary job is to supervise. The children do the cleaning, set the table, sweep, load the dishwasher and they do their own laundry. We do teach them to take pride in what they do."

"We're stern but loving," said Emma. "We've worked very hard to establish routines. They're very adaptable children, and they're very self-sufficient. (The job is) basically redirecting. The school wants them to be self-sufficient. They have small jobs, and they learn very fast. We're the fun people. We show up on weekends when it's time for recreation."

Milton Hershey School serves more than 2,000 underprivileged children from prekindergarten to 12th grade from Lancaster, Lebanon and Dauphin counties and across the United States. There are more than 180 student homes sprawled across the 7,000-acre Milton Hershey School campus in Hershey, and the student homes are staffed by 324 full-time and part-time houseparent couples.

Eight elementary-age Milton Hershey School students live in the home where the Brands serve as relief houseparents.

"If you improve the life of one child, it's so satisfying," said Javier. "We want them to learn pride and effort. Some children come from broken homes. My wife and I tell them that it's good to dream. Some come from homes where no one went to college. It's great to accomplish something big."

"I love seeing (the children) being complete, being heard, being seen," said Emma. "They know they have a support system. We want them to know their worth. When they come here, some don't know about relationships with God. We like seeing them go to college and become somebody. There's great satisfaction in that."

The Milton Hershey School was established in 1909 as a vehicle for the chocolate baron and his wife, Catherine, to give back to a community that had blessed them. It's a vision that resonates with the Brands.

"When we saw Milton Hershey's vision, it didn't feel like a job," said Emma. "It was like, 'We have so much; how do we give back?' It's aligned with Milton Hershey's vision, and we wanted to be a part of that. We were trying to find a way to give back without compromising the life we had."

"When I visited the campus for the first time, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was," said Javier. "The school is wonderful. It's amazing how the school has kept that vision and stayed consistent. They do so much for these children."

For additional information, go to http://www.mhskids.org.