Jose

“It was like jail and prison were a regular part of life.”

You can call it whatever you want but the fact is some people just won’t make it. Some people go to college, some go to prison, and growing up like we did, a lot of my friends didn’t even try anymore. It was like jail and prison were a regular part of life, like jury duty or something.

Out of the group of us there are literally only 3 people I can think of that are still OK. They’re not locked up or in a wheelchair or dead.

There are a lot of younger residents who may have negative things to say about Children’s Village, but for me, this place saved my life. I’d probably be dead or serving some great amount of time in prison somewhere. They gave me a second chance at high school, a gym to work out in, as well as substance abuse counseling. Since coming here there has been major progress in my life and a big change in my outlook on life.

Change a child's life.