A Home for the Holidays

Timothy (name changed) was brought to Safe Place after the horrific abuse inflicted by his caregivers escalated to the point of him being tied up in an outbuilding. He came to us with countless bruises, a concussion, and dislocated joints resulting from his struggle to get of the cords wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and neck.

After sleeping for a few hours and getting some breakfast in his belly, Timothy took a hot shower to relax his painful body. He was brought to us without shoes, so he got to pick out a new pair, and was stoked to get brand new Jordans :) Timothy was profusely thankful and gracious for the shoes as well as the clothes we gave to him. He spent the day playing the Wii and watching movies, all while wearing his new shoes of course!

What touched me so much about Timothy was the amount of empathy this guy possessed even as a preteen, especially considering the abuse he suffered and the violence he was subjected to. He was an only child, yet he was patient and gentle with the 2 and 3 year-olds we had at Safe Place that weekend. He "ate" the pretend sandwiches the 3 year-old made for him out of the plastic play food, and colored with the 2 year-old. Timothy shared the Wii with an autistic child around his age, and never once got frustrated or asked to play by himself, both which would have been understandable reactions! I was so blessed to spend a day with this little one.

The sad thing about young Timothy is that because he is older, he will probably not enjoy a stable stay in foster care. I think about him often, and I wonder if he's found a place to settle down in through the holidays. With Halloween in a couple of weeks, and Thanksgiving and Christmas shortly after, my heart always breaks this time of year. I cannot imagine being separated from my family during the holidays.

If you would like to get involved in bettering the lives of local foster children this holiday season and beyond, I encourage you to come to our event on November 6 - A Home for the Holidays. You will hear what Safe Place has provided for kids since we opened in 2010, learn about where we hope to go in the future, and hear about ways to get involved. There are so many ways to help these kids, whether volunteering directly with the children, providing services or gifts-in-kind, and many, many more! If you want to help these precious kids, we will find the spot for you.

Here is the link to register for the event:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/8638571199/efbeven

If you would like to be seated at my table, please email me to let me know so I can ensure you are seated with me! Feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns at katie.c.lohr@gmail.com.

I look forward to seeing many of you at this event. Thank you for being willing to be a voice of a child!