Thank you for investing in this child!
Matt* came to us at the impressionable age of 12. He had been living with his foster parents, whom he now considers “Mom” and “Dad,” since the age of nine; prior to that, he had been in the foster care system for two years.
Our Food Service Manager, Faith, remembers Matt as thin and frail-looking, quiet and sad. He stood out in her mind because of his many dietary restrictions, but it was his apparent sadness that touched her heart. “Here was this 12-year-old kid,” she says, “and he just seemed so sad all the time.”
Because you invested in this ministry, our staff were able to invest in Matt’s life. To love him and persistently show him the love of Christ. To share with him that his life has great value, and that God has an incredible plan for him. “In short,” Matt says, “the staff at Youth Haven were strong for me when I couldn’t be.”
Five years later, Matt’s desire is to return to Youth Haven to serve as a volunteer or staff member. He recently wrote to us, “Years ago I was a troubled young boy with a history of trauma and was very very lost. That was in about 2010. Now I have grown in nothing short of enormous ways, but was only able to do that with help from many many people along the way, including the staff at Youth Haven Ranch in Rives Junction, Michigan… I think it is high time I return the favor by helping the kids who are there today.”
Matt’s foster dad added his own note: “I’m so proud of the man Matt is becoming, and delighted that he’s interested in finding a way to serve.”
You can be proud of him, too. This is your ministry, and the Youth Haven children are your children. Thank you for your investment in their lives.
*Name changed for confidentiality.