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When
a friend suggested that 15-year-old Alex could find “a
new beginning” by going to YMCA camp, it couldn’t have
come at a better time.
 In
the previous year, Alex’s home life had been torn apart. Her parents
divorced, and when she went to live with her father he continued to struggle…first
losing his job, then losing the house, then losing his kids as Alex and her
brothers were sent to stay with different family members.
While at
her aunt’s she opened up and revealed that she was being abused
by a family acquaintance. In the court process that followed, the person
was found guilty of all charges, but the damage to Alex remained. Both
her grades and her self-esteem suffered. Alex was diagnosed with depression,
anxiety attacks and attempted to commit suicide twice. Her aunt struggled
as well, both emotionally and financially. She stretched to keep up
with Alex’s needs, taking her to counseling and psychiatrists,
as well as meetings with teachers, detectives, attorneys and court
appearances.
Even though
camp would be a place where Alex could begin to rebuild her confidence,
the price was too high for her aunt to pay. When the YMCA offered a
camp scholarship Alex was given her chance to begin healing. On her
15th birthday, Alex had tears come to her eyes as she looked at the
YMCA camp brochure her aunt gave her. For the next couple of weeks,
YMCA camp was all she would talk about.
“During
that week of camp I went to visit,” said her aunt. “When
I saw her she did not look like the little girl who I had walked
up to the bus earlier that week. On the day that she left she was
a timid, quiet kid who was suspicious of everyone. On that summer
day at camp, she was laughing, dancing, acting like a typical teenager."
“She
made some great friends and developed relationships with staff which
allowed her to speak of her life experience. She was able to open
up, share her story, share her tears, look past the negative and
participate in the many great things that Y camp had to offer. She
took part in activities that she would never have experienced anywhere
else."
“I
feel that YMCA camp helped put her awful experience in the past and
was a first step in letting her develop as a healthy young woman.
She still has a long road of healing ahead of her, but she is stronger
now.”
Alex’s
aunt remembers the first thing that she said when she stepped off the
bus after her camping trip: “Just so
you know, I’m definitely coming back next year.”
“I
am grateful to the YMCA for providing this wonderful life-changing
experience for Alex and for giving her something to look forward
to year after year.”
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