You can’t tell what a child is going through by the look on his face. You would never guess kids are desperate for a safe place to play. But the truth is, many are. Just read this mom’s letter and you’ll begin to understand.
“The boys were both sexually assaulted and my younger son was shot by the young man that hurt them. Their father is no longer around - hasn’t been for years. They love to be outdoors but not having a way to get them to places is hard on them. The boys struggle every day wishing they could have somewhere safe to play and not get yelled at for riding bikes or playing football in the field. You have a safe place for them to go and play where they don’t have to be scared or be bullied. They don’t have much as we live off my disability with no child support from their father. Having a safe place to go will help their mental health and make them feel loved and show them the world is not a bad place.”
There is a lot of tough stuff going on right here in America, and all too often kids are the innocent victims. They need help. They need someone to care. I want to thank you for being that someone. You are receiving this newsletter because you have given, volunteered, prayed, or attended one of our events. I know you share my passion and that of my staff team to be someone these kids can count on. Through your support of Youth Haven, you have done that, and you have made a difference in their lives.
I am blessed beyond measure by all we have been able to accomplish this past year, on our campuses and through our offsite programs. I am blown away by God and how good He is in every circumstance. We celebrate all He allowed us to do in 2020! But we still have a big job to do. There are more and more kids who need a safe place of acceptance. They need us to share our good God with them and demonstrate Jesus’ love through our actions.
As we begin a new year, we are excited for all God has in store! On behalf of the kids and staff here at Youth Haven, I thank you for standing with us and ask you to please continue to do so. Together, we can carry on providing a place of safety, love, and hope for children in need.
Your Mission Partner,
Lars Carlson, President & CEO