When I worked as a police officer, I chased a 16-year-old kid who was committing an auto burglary. As I detained Ethan, I noticed how worn and dirty his clothes were.
I still remember the distinctive smell. As Ethan sat on the curb hand-cuffed, he broke out in tears as he shared that his mom had passed away earlier that year, that he never met his biological father, and that he was living with his 68-year-old grandmother who struggled to provide food and other basic needs for him and his younger sister.
Tragically, I had no help to offer Ethan but juvenile detention. It was this frustration, and many others, that led me to CFGC in 2013. I wanted to help our kids break the cycle of poverty and suffering caused by trauma.
Ethan’s troubled childhood led him into an anxious state of survival mode stacked with bottled-up depression, trust issues, and emotional distress. While his actions were unlawful, I now know that what he needed was a second chance with the proper support to be a kid, a student, and a brother. At CFGC, we are that professional support system, and together we can help more kids.