Children's Receiving Home - Changing Lives

Lori's Story Coming Full Circle

It was a beautiful June day in 1974. I was 12 years old, and I still remember it so clearly. Having just graduated from the sixth grade, my friends and I were busy planning our summer vacation and preparing to enter Junior High. There was much to anticipate, a new school, new teachers and new friends. Then suddenly, my world was turned upside down (click here for more of Lori's story).

My Experience at the Children’s Receiving Home - By Glenna Wheeler

Imagine being 14 years old and realizing that you have nowhere to live and you have no family that wants you. That’s where I found myself when I was taken to the Children’s Receiving Home (click here for more of Glenna's story).

April's Story

Born into a family of drug abuse, alcoholism, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect, it is safe to say one of the biggest turning points in my life was being taken away from my biological family at the age of 5. I was placed in the Children’s Receiving Home and spent two weeks there until being placed back with my mother. That didn’t last long; within 6 months I was taken away again and placed back in the Children’s Receiving Home at the age of 6. Only this time would be different, I would never return to my biological parents (click here for more of April's story).

Children's Writings

Part of a child's healing process while at CRH is helping them to express their feelings about the trauma they experienced. These samples chosen from a recent school assignment show both the creativity and emotional strength of their writings. These writings are real, uncensored thoughts and feelings of the children who reside at the Children's Receiving Home.

To My Mom, My Guardian...

I love my mom. I love my guardian. I love that person that makes me smile, that person who stands by me to keep me safe, to keep me warm and out of harm. You would never let me drop until now, until that day when I said I'm done with all the pain that you didn't believe was happening at all. You let me drop that day when you moved from beside me and stood beside him to keep him safe and to keep him warm and out of any harm; when all along he is causing me the harm. Now who will protect me from the harm that he puts on me? I'm still falling and the only way I can be saved is the day when you say, "Okay, I believe what's been going on," and move from him and next to me. I love you mom, I love that you are my guardian. I love it when you make me smile, keep me safe, keep me warm and out of harm. So please come back and believe what I say and everything will be okay.

~ Justice, age 16

"I'm often asked how we know our services really work. The answer is simple. Many come back as adults to thank us and some even return as employees or serve on our Board of Directors. They want to help today's kids the same way they were helped - It's their way of giving back."

~ David Ballard, CEO