abuse happens...then what?

Meet Allen and Jonathan. Allen is ten years old. Jonathan, his brother, is only four. These tender, innocent little boys have had to live through nightmares that most people only hear about on the news or watch on TV. Their mother was beaten and abused, locked in closets for days on end, and terrified.   But, their mother escaped. These two young boys came to live at a Hannah Home after seeing their mother undergo tremendous mental and physical abuse on a regular basis. By coming to the Hannah Homes, this family has been given a second chance. The boys’ mom, Sandra, has enrolled in a community college and wants to be a social worker. She has had to change their names in order to keep them all safe, and she is fighting to provide for her family. She is fighting for her children.    The King's Ranch and Hannah Homes is committed to helping Sandra, Allen, and Jonathan, but it takes everyone working together to ensure that this family ends up a success. Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to give Sandra and her two little boys a fresh start in life. Without your giving, we wouldn’t be able to feed them and transport them to work and school. And without your prayers, we wouldn’t be able to teach them about Jesus Christ and how, with His love and grace, they will never be alone and scared again.
	Meet Claire.  Claire entered the foster child program when she was only six years old due to her mother’s extensive history of drug use, and she hasn’t seen her father since. As a child, Claire was moved from home to home frequently because of her severe disrespect for authority and constant runaway behavior.  As a runaway, Claire resorted to prostitution and illegal drug use. Additionally, she missed many school days and fell behind in her education, ultimately failing the 7th grade.              After being on the run for a month and a half from her last placement, Claire came to live at The King’s Ranch in the summer of 2006. Her road, at first, was rocky.              Initially, Claire hoped to earn her GED and enter the work force, but she was unable to pass the exam. In addition to her academic problems, Claire was so accustomed to taking care of herself that she had trouble letting go and letting other people take care of her.   After eight months at The King’s Ranch, however, Claire has discovered Christ’s love and has turned her life around. TKRHH staff helped her to re-evaluate her education and career goals. She is now a 10th grader at a local Shelby County high school and is a candidate for the SUCCESS program, a self-paced high school curriculum that will allow her to complete 2 years in one and graduate in May 2008. She has learned to let her family-teaching parents love her and give her the structure she needs.    She recognizes the poor example her family set for her. Their dependency on welfare and government assistance programs is something she has vowed not to repeat. Claire is a natural leader, and, with the strength of God’s love and the lessons she is learning at The King's Ranch and Hannah Homes, she will move forward as an independent and contributing member of our community.
Meet David.  David grew up in Shelby County. His mother and father were alcoholics and he witnessed numerous accounts of domestic violence as a child and as a young teen. In the midst of the domestic abuse against his mother, David was abused by his father. The abuse eventually pushed David to contemplate suicide, to get into fights at school, and to show disrespect for authority. Since coming to live at the Ranch, David has made tremendous progress. He has excelled at his part-time job and gotten very involved with the ROTC program at his school. Additionally, his grades are excellent, and he is a candidate for the SUCCESS program.  He plans to join the military when he graduates from high school.
	Meet Jenelle. At the tender age of thirteen, Jenelle was living with her mother and step-father win a home filled with drugs and alcohol.  Her step-father was abusive, and the turmoil in her life led to her being removed from her home.  Jenelle was placed at one of the group homes at The King's Ranch and, for the first time, had Christian parental role models.  After living two years at The King's Ranch, Jenelle was able to reunite with her mother.  She eceslled in high school and went on to college.  Jenelle graduated from law school and is now employed with a prestigious law firm in Birmingham. She truly embraced the idea of giving back to the community and is a member of the Board of Directors for The King's Ranch and Hannah Homes.

Through your support, this is what God can do.