Faith did not want to come to Jonathan’s Place. When she arrived, she refused to eat.
“I was mad because I felt that being part of the foster system would make things worse for me and my sister,” Faith said about her first days in our Emergency Shelter.
At the age of five, when Faith should have been worried about what color crayon to use, she was worried about caring for her one year old sister. They were left home alone. After a teacher called Child Protective Services, they were placed with relatives.
That, however, did not help Faith’s outlook on life.
After nine years of bouncing between family members in multiple cities, she was reunited with her great-aunt, but the situation wasn’t any better. Their great-aunt refused to take medications to deal with multiple mental health disorders and spent most of her income on cigarettes – and not buying food.
Then, after attending four high schools in as many years, her great-aunt called the school last Spring and told them she didn’t want them any more.
“We were devasted, crying and didn’t know what was going to happen to us,” Faith said about that night.
“It pains my heart to hear some of the stories our children share,” said Michael Strickland, director of residential programs at Jonathan’s Place. “As a father, I am proud that we are ready at any hour to help children from 21 Texas counties.”
With it being early in Faith’s last semester in high school, the Jonathan’s Place staff worked diligently to get her enrolled so she could graduate. That’s just the beginning of how your donations helped.
Soon, it was time for prom season.
Armed with donated gift cards and money available from gifts to our recreation fund, Jonathan’s Place CEO Allicia Graham Frye took Faith on a prom dress shopping trip to Macy’s, David’s Bridal, and WhatchamaCallit.
“I am very grateful,” Faith said about the generosity.
In just a few weeks after prom, she was walking across the stage at her graduation (wearing a cap and gown purchased with your donations).
Today, she’s living with her sister in a Jonathan’s Place foster home, working a part-time job in retail, and attending classes at Collin College. She plans to enter the highly-acclaimed music program at the University of North Texas.
Now, Faith has a new opinion on the foster system.
“It was was the best decision I’ve made,” she said about staying in foster care. “Before Jonathan’s Place, I never thought I’d go to college.”