Ana's Place: Providing Foster Teens with Mentorship, Shelter, Compassion, Education, and Love
- treasuresanas
- Jan 21
- 3 min read
If you don't want to read a rant or believe in divine revelation keep scrolling....I don't post often nor do I post passionately very often but TODAY is the day we NEED YOU!
Approx 70% of foster youth are arrested at least once by the age of 26.
34% of foster youth report drinking alcohol at least once a month in the past year
22% of foster youth reported drug use in the past year
49% of foster youth had tried drugs at some point in their lives
Foster youth are more than seven times more likely to develop a drug dependence than non-foster youth
Studies show that youth in foster care are 2 and a half times more likely to contemplate suicide then youth not in foster care and 4x more likely to attempt suicide...
If you reading this think this isn't your problem, think again.....
You all should know by now Todd, and I were foster parents, we have raised together in a blended family 5 amazing, independent, smart, passionate young women (kudos to Ashley Buck's mama too) and adopted our precious, joyful, funny Ana out of foster care!
Well today was one of the saddest days for me. (I won't say where or who to protect those in a thankless job and the child this would affect)
Today I was driving down a road I wouldn't normally go because it is not plowed well, and I was in a hurry but for whatever reason I took that road anyway. As I am driving, I look up and see a girl running, scared, cold, sad, crying, hopeless.....No shoes, no coat, tank top and pajama shorts in less then 15 degrees with a windchill of who knows, freezing....THIS IS FOSTER CARE. The look on her face was one of loss, sadness, hopelessness.... She wants to be a social worker, she has dreams too. GOD put me there today no one will convince me otherwise. It could have been anyone, but it was me. It was me who stopped and picked her up and made sure she was safe. It was me whose coat she needed, whose boots helped warm her feet. It is me (and my amazing volunteers) who dream of the day we can open "Ana's Place" a place for teens just like her. No I don't know her story but I do know no child wants to run away with no coat, no shoes, no hat, no gloves, barely dressed in freezing temperatures.
Whose to blame? The workers? The foster parents? The schools? The child? Her parents, her family? Does it really matter? I don't know whose fault it is but I do know we can make a difference. Maybe I'm just babbling and you're thinking there she goes again with her Ana's blah blah but if not if you are someone who would like to help with forming a committee to help West Branch be the first town with an Ana's Place please reach out to me! 989-709-6402 Thank you for sharing this post! I hope that with all our help we can get this to the right people, people with connections, God can do amazing things when we listen and let him! Mark 9:37
Very interested!
To say I am excited to start this drive to make FREE housing, mentorship and add hope to the lives of aged out foster children would be an understatement. Although I am excited, I am also scared. A calling like this is not for the weak! I know that our community can make this happen, but Ana's Treasures cannot do this alone! If you want to be a part of this, please comment below! I will be posting our first meeting soon!