Mother’s Day without a Mom

This Mother’s Day, Vanessa doesn’t have a mom. Her mom (and dad) abandoned her for drugs years ago.

They also looked away as she was sexually abused by a family friend.

Now 17, Vanessa has been in the child welfare system since she was 12.

With the multiple traumas that she faced early in childhood, she was never successful living with relatives or in other foster homes. She was dealing with her anger with violent outbursts, was verbally abusive, and needed a higher level of therapeutic care surrounded by a team of experienced professionals.

With your support, Jonathan’s Place has been able to provide therapeutic care through our Girls Residential Program. Designed for girls ages 10-17, this program provides intensive counseling and structure in a home-like setting. They live on our campus and are enrolled in public schools. We use your donations to provide educational and cultural enrichment activities to help them make the difficult struggle to move beyond their past, and begin to see a beautiful future for themselves.

With Vanessa, like with each girl who comes to live with us, our staff and supporting network quickly started preparing a plan for her educational, social, and personal growth.

Because of your support, Vanessa isn’t spending Mother’s Day  without a mom.

Our staff and volunteers have become her moms and dads. She now has the Jonathan’s Place family to care for her, encourage her to become more, and help her during the difficult days.

The State only provides 47 cents for every $1 it takes to care for Vanessa and the other girls in our program. We count on you to help close that gap.

In addition to paying the light bill and providing food and clothing, your donations paid for some of Vanessa’s best accomplishments.

Vanessa had never played volleyball when she walked onto the court last year. However, with practice, private lessons, perseverance, and encouragement from our staff, she made the varsity team! Your donations helped cover lessons, clothing, and all of the other expenses (which aren’t cheap) to give her every opportunity to succeed.

Since joining the team, we have noticed significant improvements in her social development and her grades in school.

In the two years that she has lived at Jonathan’s Place, we have seen tremendous personal growth, and we are excited to watch her grow into a vibrant young woman.

This Mother’s Day, consider becoming a monthly donor to Jonathan’s Place. Your monthly support helps fill the gap in state funding, equipping Vanessa and the children in our care with a safe, loving home operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a years.

Your support changes lives and I am so thankful we can count on you to help children like Vanessa.