“My life is way different now,” Kamaree says. “Thank you for giving us this place so we can be with our mom and be happy instead of crying so much because we miss her and want her to come home.”

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.”