We are so fortunate in that we were able to conduct on-site summer programming for the entire month of July with not one single COVID-19 case! We credit this to God above for His protection and to that we diligently followed safety and health guidelines to keep our youth healthy.
Unfortunately, during times of financial crisis and isolation, child abuse cases increase, making the work we do more important now than ever before. We definitely noticed an increase in the number and severity of child abuse cases this summer and we were blessed to be able to serve those children and help them find hope and healing.
This July we had the opportunity to serve a young boy named Jack. Jack came to us malnourished and in dire need of food and loving care. Jack shared that often he was left alone to care for his younger siblings while his mom left to go do drugs. He was left without enough food to eat and the responsibility of trying to find food for his siblings. Thankfully, Jack came to Wildwood Hills Ranch this summer! We were able to feed him nourishing meals, shower him with lots of loving care and get him the medical care he needed. Jack also formed a close bond with his leader and built a bridge of trust with them.
There are so many stories like Jack’s. We have witnessed many youth squirreling away food for later and often youth talk and write about the food they are served and how thankful they are for it!
With help from donors like you we were able to provide 10,172 meals last year alone to those who need it most. And, during this June’s community-service focused programming, we were able to distribute over 1,300 meals to individuals in need! All of July we also served three square meals a day on-site during our programming to hungry children who might not have been fed elsewhere.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the vulnerable youth and families in need that we serve. We highly value you and appreciate you and look forward to sharing more stories with you about how your gifts have made a difference!
*Photo shown does not correlate to story provided.