I love hearing the laughter of children on our campuses! For many of the kids who come to Youth Haven, their lives are so full of fear and uncertainty that fun is a foreign concept to them. We want to give them a chance to let go of those worries for a little while and see that life can be — and should be — different from what they’ve experienced. Our programs also help them develop social skills, learn teamwork, and discover gifts and talents they might not have known they had. But we know true life change can only come through Jesus Christ, and that’s why everything we do at Youth Haven is Christ-centered. Our staff are always looking for teachable moments, from pointing out God’s awesome creation in the night sky to talking about grace with a child who has misbehaved.
This is especially important because we work exclusively with disadvantaged children. Every child who comes to Youth Haven has gone through some type of hardship. Their circumstances vary, but many of the requests for help we receive are similar to this one:
“Michael* was in DCS care since a couple months of age but still lived with his bio mom and her boyfriend. He witnessed a lot of abuse and was neglected. He came to us when he was 6 and then when on an overnight visit with his mom was sexually abused. DCS stopped visits and moved to sever her rights. She asked us to adopt him and we did thinking with lots of love his behaviors would get better. Michael struggles with relationships and needs to be around more people who are loving, kind and accepting.”
It breaks my heart how many kids have dealt with this kind of hurt. But I’m incredibly grateful Youth Haven is here to provide love, support, and acceptance for as many as we can. And I’m grateful for friends like you who make it possible through your prayers, volunteer hours, and financial love gifts! We bring all of these kids to Youth Haven free of charge, and we aren’t funded by state or federal support. Thank you for allowing hurting children to experience the life-changing love of Christ at Youth Haven!
Your Mission Partner,
Lars Carlson
President & CEO
*name changed for confidentiality