“I thought St. John’s Home would be boring, but it’s not. It’s homey, and fun. It’s a safe place.”—Sheila, age 14

“The best day was when I slept in a tent right next to my counselor. We cooked marshmallows on the fire. We got to climb a big, high sand dune.”—Roger, age 11

“When I was upset, my counselor listened. He was calm when I was really mad. He said, ‘I’m here.’ When he went home that night, he told my other counselors to call if I needed to talk. That was cool.”—Sam, age 14

“On my first day, my room was so pretty. I had a pink and brown polka dot bed set. There was body wash, a comb and hair ties on the dresser, and a big poster that all the girls had signed that said, ‘Welcome to St. John’s Home, Celia!’”—Celia, age 15

“I met my best friend Kimmie here. She was nice to me when I first came. We play Monopoly and tag. We both like dolls a lot.”—Joy, age 8

“This is like heaven compared to some other places I’ve lived. At first it was hard to believe that the staff really cared about me. When they said I couldn’t stay out all night, I thought they were being really unfair. Now, I realize they were trying to protect me. I’m a completely different person than I was. Just about every day is pretty good.”—Sarah, age 17

“I took dance lessons this year. My counselor taught me how to swim, too. I was really afraid of water before. I’ve learned how to take changes—good changes, that is!”—Hannah, age 13

“There are only a handful [of agencies] that stand out as ones that truly know the meaning of child welfare and carry out this understanding in every facet – from individual contact to administrative policy. You and St. John’s Home are among this handful. It would be an honor to work with you and St. John’s again!”—Caseworker

“I am very impressed with the competence, professionalism, spirit of caring and low staff turnover.”—Caseworker, DHS

“I’ve been especially pleased with your response to special needs or especially difficult youth. St. John’s is always willing to adapt its program to suit a child’s needs.”—Family Court Probation Officer