By Brittany Cravatta
When people think of Hope Children’s Home, some may confuse it with an everyday typical foster care or orphanage. This facility is far from it. Thanks to Stephanie, a current employee who grew up in the home herself, I got to take a grand tour and see what life was truly like at Hope. I was truly pleased with what I saw.
Hope Children’s Home was founded in 1968 and has rescued nearly 5,000 children between the ages of infant to 18 years old. All of the children have their own stories on how they ended up at Hope Children’s Home. While it is true that some of the children may have been forcefully taken away from their parents due to neglect, drugs, or alcohol, other children were admitted there because their parents simply couldn’t afford to provide for them.
Stephanie was the oldest of five children living with a single mother. While her mother tried everything to be able to care for her children, she was struggling to come up with the money in order to take care of them. Her only other alternative was to place Stephanie and her siblings into Hope Children’s Home.
“I’m really happy that I came here.” Stephanie admitted. “Given the situation that we were in at the time, it was the best option for us. My mom really wanted us to give us a home where we would be well taken care of and provide education so that we would still be able to prosper and be successful.”
Stephanie also added that she, along with many other children at the home, were able to keep in contact with their families depending on their situations. Today, Stephanie is 23 years old, a college graduate and has a career at the home, where she can help other children.
When I took a tour of the facility, Stephanie showed me the cafeteria, the school, and the cottages. She explained the daily life of a child at Hope Children’s Home, and it seems that the children there are genuinely happy with their living conditions. Everything that is provided to the children was given to the organization through donations.