Family 1

One of the children in this family was seven years old when she was taken to the hospital because she was coughing up blood and was then diagnosed with rare blood cancer. She has been battling this illness for five years now and has become depressed due to her isolation and inability to do activities that her other siblings are able to do. It has been stressful for the entire family as they have all been battling this illness, and plan to continue to do so until she is in remission one day.

Family 2

Ted, (name changed for anonymity) one of our current high school students, had difficulty with the English language, was having learning issues at school, had no friends, and was without food most of the time due to his families financial situation. Ted got involved with the Brain Builders tutoring program. That is when his life began to turn around.

Thanks to weekly tutoring, he began better understanding the English and was able to complete his homework with ease. Through participation in other Stafford Junction programs, Ted made many friendships, strengthened his faith and became a role model for other children in similar situations. Thanks to nutritious meals served in these programs and Tide Me Over Bags taken home, Ted wasn’t hungry anymore. After he received a free physical exam, Ted found out he could join the football team. Thanks to his good grades combined with his football skills, we anticipate that a college scholarship is in his future. This is just one example of how education, empowerment and healthy living can break the chain of generational poverty.

When Ted was in high school, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Ted and his family struggled both emotionally and financially during this time. They thought they had no one to turn to for help, until Stafford Junction stepped in to assist. We began transporting Ted’s mother to her chemotherapy treatments while also making sure that Ted still made it to football practice every day. We made sure that the family was taken care of in every aspect. Now, Ted’s mother is cancer free, back to work, and more energetic then ever before. Ted is finishing his senior year in high school and we hope to see him playing football in the fall at an accredited university.

Ted often shares his own story with other children who are scared, sad or lost in life. He wants everyone to know the important “hand up” Stafford Junction has given him.

Family 3

Daniel, a 9-year-old student was referred to us by his cub scout leader. He was concerned because Daniel was falling behind in his studies, but it seemed that his school was unable to give him the one on one time that was needed. Currently, Daniel is reading at a 1st grade level and when he is at home, he receives no help, mainly because his mother only speaks Spanish, and he can only speak English.

Daniel started coming to our office on the days that he is not going to his school building and we are spending one on one time with him so that he can begin to catch up and progress with the rest of his peers in third grade. When he started, it was clear that he was embarrassed about the fact that he could not read, but now when he comes in the building, he shows us new books that he wants to read! Daniel is a great kid with a lot of energy but he needed people like the staff at Stafford Junction to lift him up and show him that he can accomplish anything as long as he puts forth the effort.

We are excited to continue to watch Daniel grow and are hopeful that he will catch up and even surpass some of his own peers in the future. Daniel’s future is bright now that he has people to look up to and show him how to be successful on his own two feet.

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