Nick is grateful for the companionship and support of his houseparents. “They help me when I need it, like with my schoolwork, and they just talk to me when I’m not feeling great about stuff. Sometimes I go find them to talk, but other times they just know. They are that way with the other guys, too. They’ve helped me learn how to handle stuff.”

“When I came here, I found out I’m good at school, and I love it. I haven’t gotten in trouble one time. My mom is relaxed enough now to be funny and joke around, and we both just smile all the time.”

“I imagined being here would feel like being part of a big family. I was even ready for there to be fights because that’s just what happens in big families sometimes, but it hasn’t been this way. It’s been way better.”

Free to focus on fourth grade and “just be a kid”, Avery can’t stop raving about the temporary home he, his mother, and two siblings have found as participants in the Children’s Hope program.

“If it weren’t for you, I know I wouldn’t be in a good place at all right now. It’s actually hard to think about. Now, I feel like I’m going to be a lot more successful in life and more prepared for anything that comes my way.”