This year, twelve-year-old Patrick got the Christmas present that he had always wanted – a family.
Like most kids at HomeSafe, Patrick endured a difficult childhood marked by physical and emotional abuse from his birth parents. After being placed in foster care, he entered the system with a broken heart and a wall of distrust toward adults. Quick to pick fights, he was also wary of his peers and often kept to himself.
A year ago, Patrick arrived at HomeSafe, distant and closed off to others. Mr. Derek, the program supervisor, and Ms. Brittney, his therapist, offered kindness and support, but Patrick resisted. A challenging encounter with another boy at the home then prompted Patrick to recognize the importance of vulnerability and the need to ask for help.
First opening up to Mr. Derek, Patrick found solace. “He was different, always forgiving, even when I made mistakes,” Patrick recalls. Slowly, he also connected with Ms. Brittney, bonding over football and games. She discovered the key to motivating him to change his behavior. Brittney made a deal with Patrick. If he avoided fights for three days, he’d get football or baseball trading cards. Patrick exceeded expectations, achieving not just three, but six, and then thirty days without fighting. Patrick took pride in his ability to avoid conflicts and seek help from adults.
Ms. Brittney beams when she talks about his progress, saying, “Patrick is trying so hard to be the best version of himself every day.” Patrick gives her credit for his newfound conflict resolution skills, acknowledging her guidance in stepping away from potentially dangerous situations.
We asked Patrick what hope means to him. For him, hope takes shape in the form of his new family. A couple in Central Florida, having raised kids of their own, chose to adopt him. Patrick excitedly shares, “I’ve learned that you don’t need to have the same blood to be a family.” Despite concerns about always making the right choices, he remains optimistic. “I’ve made mistakes with my new family, but they told me that no matter what, they still love me.”
In a year of positive change at HomeSafe, Patrick found not only a sense of belonging, but also a newfound hope for his future.
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