Your gifts change children's lives!
From birth, Abby* was neglected. She was not cared for by her mother and did not receive the affection a child needs to thrive. Instead, she was often left in her crib crying, without being changed or fed. She only survived because her 8 year old sister took responsibility for her.
At the age of 2 1/2, Abby was separated from her older sister and placed in foster care. Her foster parents adopted her when she was 5, but shortly after the adoption was finalized, her adoptive mother suddenly passed away. Abby’s story seemed to be one traumatic experience after another.
When Abby was 9, her adoptive father remarried, and her new stepmother began searching for resources to help her overcome the emotional and behavioral struggles she was still going through. When she found Youth Haven, she quickly reached out for help, explaining that she and her husband are both on disability and don’t have the financial resources to pay for services to help Abby.
We were thrilled to welcome Abby to our campus and become part of her life! Here, she immediately knew she had a place to belong and people cared about her. And that had a powerful impact on Abby’s life.
During her first visit with us, Abby also learned that she was created by God for a very special purpose, and that He loves her and will always be with her. She received a Bible to take home and began to learn more through the Bible-based activities we sent her in the mail. By the time she came for her third stay with us, she had accepted Christ as her Savior!
Abby continues to attend our on-site adventures as often as possible and has sent back more than 30 completed activity sheets through our mail program. She has already earned 8 of the 12 Harvey and Friends characters that are part of our incentive program!
Abby’s life has been changed because of friends like you. Due to her circumstances, she would not have an opportunity to learn from the Bible and get to know Jesus without Youth Haven. Thank you for giving so she can have that chance!
*Name changed for confidentiality