“It was the most terrifying moment in my life…worse than the
times he beat me…*Skyler was screaming and I had only the clothes
on my back and little bit of cash in my pocket, but I knew the
only way to save my son was to get out of there.”
Just a little over two years ago, *Diane made the brave decision
to leave and take her then two-year old son Skyler from an
abusive environment; with hopes to begin a new life.
As Skyler grew older, his mother began to notice that something
wasn’t quite right. Skyler gradually stopped using words to
communicate with her and others. When he did verbalize, he’d make
different animal noises, depending on his mood. As time passed,
the animal noises were joined with other bad habits such as
excessive temper tantrums, hitting, kicking and biting along with
frequent potty accidents.
Worried and distraught, Diane sought help. She grew so
desperate to get her son the help she knew he needed, she called
Child Protective Services (CPS) out of fear her parenting was the
root of her son’s growing troubles.
Here, they were referred to the Sprouts: Trauma Informed
Care Preschool; an innovative program conceived to help the
very youngest survivors of abuse and neglect process their
trauma.
As months passed, the tantrums became less frequent, the biting
ceased, and the hissing and barking gradually transformed into
verbalization.
Just one year later, Diane sat in the crowd, her eyes filled with
tears as she watched Skyler receive a handmade card, a little
diploma and a backpack filled with supplies at his Sprouts
graduation ceremony.
“You’ve given me my son back,” wrote Diane in a letter to the
teachers shortly after Skyler’s graduation. Despite making
pouting faces or throwing a small tantrum every so often,
Skyler’s developmental skills are where they should be. “I know
his time in the Sprouts program – and all that he learned along
the way – will translate into an enjoyable and successful
Kindergarten experience for him…I can’t thank CRH enough!”
Would you consider making a financial gift in support of the
Sprouts: Trauma Informed Care Preschool? Your contribution will
continue the good fight in making a difference in the lived of
youth who have been abused or neglected.
Thank you again for all you do for our kids – we couldn’t do our
work without you.
Most sincerely,
David Ballard, LCSW
Chief Executive Officer
*Names have been changed to protect
confidentiality.
This month, we all honor the historical contributions of
women, often shining a spotlight on the work of committed
individuals whose contributions have been relegated to the
shadows.
As former residents — and now board members — of the Children’s
Receiving Home of Sacramento, we salute the remarkable
Genevieve F. Didion, who was the less famous
step-grandmother of acclaimed author and Sacramento native Joan
Didion.
Cody is live at Crocker Riverside Elementary who is celebrating
#GivingTuesday by hosting a “Cubs Give” Drive benefiting The
Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento.
Our Activities Team works hard to ensure our youth have
plenty to do while they remain in our care. Thanks
to several donors in our community, we can provide fun outings
and festive events on campus!
It was two in the morning. While quietly working in the Willows 3
dorm, a member of the Children’s Receiving Home of
Sacramento (CRH) night staff heard a loud cry from the bedroom of
the newest admit.
She quickly rose and found 11-year-old Marika*, the
oldest of a tight-knit Hungarian sibling set, wide awake and
overwhelmed with concern for her younger brother and
sister.
For generations, the Children’s Receiving Home has been a
safe haven for young people and teens suffering abuse and neglect
in the greater Sacramento area. With the support of our
community, we treat all aspects of the trauma suffered by our
youth — mental, physical, and emotional — providing
individualized care for young people who are facing new and
greater challenges and helping them lay the groundwork for their
future success.
Here at CRH, this really is the most wonderful time of the year.
We get to experience friends all over the Sacramento area
getting into the holiday spirit and having fun supporting the
kids at CRH.
Shortly before Christmas, stacks of shoe boxes arrive in the
Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento (CRH) lobby. New shoe
boxes with brand names like Nike, Converse, Adidas and Vans—in
all sizes and styles, for boys and girls of all ages.
Last year, almost 200 pairs of new shoes were donated to
the Receiving Home—all because of one very grateful man and past
CRH resident, Jason Salinas.
The Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento (CRH) has been named
a “2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading
provider of user reviews of charities and nonprofits.
The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is the based on the rating and
number of reviews that CRH received from volunteers, donors
and aid recipients.
“CRH rocks! The staff are always there to listen and understand
the kids, no matter what they’re going through,” says a past
client.
It’s September and the kids at the
Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento (CRH) are going
back to school after a busy summer of activities. We are serious
about education for our kids — and for our staff too!
CRH staff keep up-to-date on all the latest training to
ensure we are always providing the best care possible to the
children and youth we serve.
On May 3, 2018 we asked the Sacramento community to step up BIG
and join us in raising much-needed funds for campus-wide
improvements at the Children’s Receiving Home of
Sacramento (CRH).
We asked, and you answered in a BIG way! Together, you
donated more than $50,000 and made some long-needed projects to
spiff up and beautify our 6-acre campus a reality.
This month has been busy with construction crews tackling things
like shower and counter top upgrades, laminate flooring
installation, and more.
When I first came to the
Children’s Receiving Home (CRH) as a fifteen-year-old
runaway I was very lost and confused. I had been
self-harming and had tried to commit suicide. I
really wasn’t sure what the world had left for
me.
