You might be the hero a struggling boy or girl needs this very moment.
People in our world today are looking for heroes. The box office success of the recent Marvel movies is evidence of that. Yet if you were to ask a majority of kids who their hero is, chances are they would not respond with the name of an imaginary superhero. In fact, multiple surveys show that most children say their biggest hero is a parent, a person they know, or a public figure who has done something they believe helped others.
But for kids from difficult home circumstances, heroes like that can be hard to find.
That’s where you come in. Kids are smart. They know superpowers aren’t real. That’s not what they’re looking for. But they are looking for the “good guy.” They want someone to invest in them, guide them, and help them. They want someone who chooses to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. Someone they can look up to.
When you give to Youth Haven, you invest in the life of a child who desperately needs your help. You become a true hero in the life of that child. A child like Cameron.*
Cameron was born a substance-exposed newborn and placed in the care of his grandparents. For the first several years of his life, his mother was in and out of the home in active addiction. Eventually, she was incarcerated, and Cameron spent close to a year without seeing her.
During that time, Cameron looked to two people as his heroes: his godmother, whom he loved and admired, and his grandmother, who was his primary caregiver. Tragically, Cameron witnessed the sudden and unexpected death of his godmother. Less than two weeks later, his grandmother also passed away. Both of his heroes were gone.
After her release from prison, Cameron’s mother moved back in with him and his grandfather and entered a recovery program. The struggles continued as Cameron listened silently to verbal abuse and arguments between his mother and grandfather. At the same time, he was still trying to process the emotional trauma of the losses he had endured.
Fortunately, his mom heard about Youth Haven and sent in an application for him to attend.
We welcomed Cameron with open arms, and this boy who thought he had lost everything found something incredible: belonging. Here, he felt safe enough to relax and have fun. He didn’t have to listen to people fighting and yelling at each other. Others understood the hurt he was going through and wanted to help him through it. And he heard the incredible truth that Jesus was there to help him through that hurt as well. That, no matter what he was going through, God loved him and created him with a very special purpose in mind.
This was only possible because friends like you cared enough to give, so Cameron could come to Youth Haven free of charge. He has been to Youth Haven three times since that first experience a year ago, and each time a hero like you has sacrificially given in order to pay for his stay with us. And because of that, Cameron has discovered the love of the ultimate Hero: Jesus.
The sad truth is, there are hundreds of kids out there facing circumstances similar to Cameron’s. We see the applications - sometimes three or four per day. They need someone to stand up for them, invest in them, and help them through their struggles. They need a hero.
Will you please be the hero a boy or girl needs today? Will you help them find hope in the love of Jesus, the Hero who will never let them down?
Thank you for changing the life of a child like Cameron.
Please click here to give.
*Name changed for confidentiality
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