If St. Joseph's Villa had one wish, every child would be born into a loving, nurturing, stable family.
No child would know the lasting trauma of abuse, the pain of hunger or the deprivation of poverty.
No child would lose a loved one to drugs and alcohol or violence on a street corner.
No child would know the confusion of seeing a parent sent to prison.
No child would ever feel the despair of mental illness in themselves or a family member.
No child would succumb to a life of failures and poor choices because they lost hope in themselves and their future.
And every child would have a fair chance at a happy, productive life.
But at St. Joseph's Villa, we know it takes more than wishes to change the world. We start by working hard to help as many young people as we can whose fragile lives bear the effects of tragic events and circumstances. We work to restore hope, rebuild confidence, address challenges and equip them with the motivation and resiliency to build a better life for themselves, and their own families one day.
Let us tell you a little bit about the young people we work with. Almost 65% of the boys and girls we see have been either physically or sexually abused or severely neglected at some point in their lives. About 75% have family histories of alcoholism and drug abuse. Many have family backgrounds of mental illness, and about 90% have experienced the death of someone close to them -- a parent, sibling or friend.
They come to us with serious emotional challenges, learning difficulties and low self-worth. Not surprisingly, most find it nearly impossible to trust anyone, form relationships and make good choices. In fact, many have made some bad choices along the way, like dropping out of school, falling in with a gang, or trying to cope with problems through drugs and alcohol.
The youth we work with are on the verge of falling into a downward cycle if they don't get the right kind of help. They're vulnerable to school failure, incarceration, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, homelessness, suicide. Moreover, if their emotional and behavioral issues remain unaddressed, they're at extreme risk of becoming dependent on society rather than self-sufficient contributors. They need someone to show them a better way.
It's up to us to do that. The Villa reaches out with a network of care and support to impact every corner of a child's life -- his family, home, school and neighborhood. Gradually, we help each young person see and desire a better future. Then we help them develop the skills and values they need to get there. Like confidence, accountability, teamwork, respect, trust.
It's this approach that helps young people break through barriers and become productive adults with the education and ambition to succeed. And the resiliency to weather storms along the way. So they can bring value to the community as responsible employees, neighbors, spouses, and parents to the next generation.
Despite our best efforts, we don't succeed with every child. But with most, we do. And we never give up, even when a child has given up on himself.
Because we've got a big wish to keep working on.
