LANSING - St. Vincent Catholic Charities (STVCC) is a non-profit Mid-Michigan charity that runs various programs to help serve those in need in the community. One program that focuses on kids in need is their Children’s Home.

Many of the children referred to the Children’s home come from trauma situations of neglect and/or abuse. Children’s Home Program Manager Alysia Christy explained their goal is to help children learn ways to cope and help them achieve a stable life. “So we’re doing that through therapy service, through volunteer groups, through community settings. We really want to make sure that when they leave St. Vincent, they have more tools in their tool belt to be successful going forward,” said Christy.

Community support can be a way to help let a child who’s experienced a trauma know others care about them. Community support can be volunteers and even mentors. Josh Lown is the Volunteer, Outreach, & Training Coordinator and he says, “so when they see members of a community be really supportive of them and helpful of them it kind of helps them trust that there are other people who want to care about them, and who are going to care about them.”

Saint Vincent Catholic Charities Children’s home is not only dedicated to helping children, but also want to make a community impact in order to erase the stigma the kids they serve aren’t worthy. Christy said,
“the more we can break stereotypes of our kids being bad kids or unloved kids is so false and so if we can just continue to show that our kids, are kids and they’re deserving of that love and kindness and care then I think we’re doing great things.”

At some point every child has to part ways with the Children’s Home. Seeing these children overcome so many obstacles is why Medical Liaison Latisha Clayton finds so much joy in her job. “Especially when we have teenagers that leave; they go on to college. They come back and say I’m doing good, I have a job now, or I’m with a family, and/or I’m independent living and It’s great to see that they were able to succeed outside of the things that they went through in their life,” explained Clayton.

St. Vincent Catholic Charities Children’s home works with children ages 4-17 and can currently house up to 40 children at a time.

To learn more about STVCC and their programs yo an visit their website.