Summer 2009
This summer, Quest School plans to take students to museums and historical landmarks as a part of the Southern Illinois History and Writing class. Instead of taking youth to an amusement park or a baseball game, we have focused on smaller, more meaningful educational activities.
The youth really enjoy seeing sights they have never had the chance to see. They hear stories about the river pirates and outlaws that once hid at Cave-in-Rock. At the Garden of the Gods, they study rock formations that look out over the Shawnee National Forest. The youth illustrate what they learn from personal experience and historical facts with creative projects and writing assignments.
A few years ago, things were different for Lauren (not her real name). She was a lost young girl who was beginning to display the first signs of mental instability. She made poor decisions and was unable to attend school due to fear and anxiety. Her mother also suffered from mental illness and committed suicide when Lauren was only 2 years old. As a child, Lauren was adopted by her aunt, but the trauma and mental illness became too much for her aunt to handle alone.
When Lauren first came to our Residential Treatment Program, she was 15 years old. She was withdrawn in the cottage, remaining silent and to herself. At school, she was unresponsive and slept through class. She struggled to take care of her essential hygiene needs and required direction from staff to complete basic tasks that we often take for granted. We welcomed her with open hearts and minds, and have helped her improve everyday.
Since then, Lauren has been doing great in Quest School and in the cottage. She has shown tremendous growth, because of the treatment and support of our clinical team. Lauren is now taking steps to become more independent and self-sufficient.
This summer, Lauren will be moving from our Residential Treatment Program to our Transitional Living Program where she will be responsible for actions such as cooking her own meals and balancing her own checkbook. She started working at a local retail store recently and really enjoys her new job. She is excited to be graduating from high school next year, and wants to be able to provide for herself.
With the help that UMCH provides, Lauren was able to accomplish all of these things. She will be able to maintain a job and take college courses. Likewise, with the ongoing support of the community and individuals like you, UMCH is able to help Lauren and all the youth entrusted to our care.
We are aware of the current economic climate that affects many of the families and youth in our communities. United Methodist Children’s Home will continue to use resources wisely and to keep moving forward in helping youth and families that are in need of treatment, education, and guidance.
There are many more youth in our communities that need treatment like Lauren. With the treatment and supervision that we provide, they can have a chance to learn and grow. Your contributions directly improve the lives of youth in all of our programs.
