St. Francis Home for Children

Testimonials

“Final Thoughts”

Final thoughts are testimonials written by youth who have completed the programs at St. Francis
Home for Children. These letters are written prior to the youth’s discharge from the programs.
They are an opportunity for the youth to share their experiences with other youth, who will be
coming into the program, reflect on their stay in the programs and what they have learned.

“These last thirty days in the program have been nothing less than fantastic. When I first came
into the program, I filled out what is called a “collaborative plan”. It listed three goals I wanted
to accomplish while I was at the boys’ CARE program. One of them was to stop using cigarettes
and abusing substances. I have never felt better in my life, and I look a lot healthier than I have
in a long time. Another was to finish my high school education. While I’ve been in here, my
teacher, Mr. Dan helped me to get back into school, and find a job. Although I did most of the
work on my own, if it was not for him pushing me and being persistent, I probably would not
have thought about either. I will go back to school April 26th, and by May 26th, I will have my
diploma. That is one accomplishment I have been dreaming about for years and finally I’m
getting that chance. The last goal I had was to build a better relationship with my family and my
friends. Since I’ve been here, I’ve stayed in contact with my family and friends on a daily basis,
and had multiple visits while I have been here. I would recommend this program to anybody
who wants to change how they are living their lives. This program helped me find out what is
important, what really matters and what doesn’t matter. Thank you”. - Boys’ CARE Program Participant

" When I first came to the boys CARE program, I thought it was pointless and that there was nothing I needed to learn. Now that my time here is coming to a close, I realize I have gained an abundance of knowledge that I can apply to my life outside the program. I have learned to deal with my emotions in a positive way and not let other people affect my disposition. I have also learned that ignoring others negative behavior is the best way to diffuse a situation that can turn into something bigger. The time here has given me a new insight about what I really want to do in my life and how I can go about making my dreams a success. When I was going through hardships that stressed me out, the staff was there to help me “release”. Mr. Keith was very helpful with working with me to deal with my emotions. He listened to my problems and genuinely cared about my well-being which was comforting for me. The CARE program has given my sober time to reevaluate my future and how the choices I make now will affect me later. I’m going back to school and I’m avidly pursuing college to major in Political Science and minor in History. My dream is to be a political activist because my generation has no leader and no thirst for one. I hope to change the world one mind at a time." - Boys’ CARE Program Participant