California

 Since June 6, 2011, Boys Town California has proudly been a provider of the Common Sense Parenting^® (CSP) program. In just over six months, the site taught numerous parents, serving 89 children in the process.

Anticipation built at Boys Town California as the youth, staff and more than 50 guests gathered together for an evening of holiday magic for the Christmas Tree Lighting December 10. 

Two groups recently gave their time, energy and resources to make the Boys Town California campus an even better place for youth, families and staff.

On October 28, United Parcel Service (UPS), an ongoing supporter of Boys Town California, helped clean out two storage areas, completed several organizational tasks for the In-Home Family Services (IHFS) office and painted a room. The newly painted room will serve as "Our Town," a food pantry and resource center for IHFS and Common Sense Parenting (CSP) families. 

Fifty volunteers from Mariners Church Newport Beach turned out to help Boys Town California throw its first annual Halloween bash for youth on October 30.

The event, hosted at the Boys Town California Trabuco Campus, provided pumpkins for each of the kids and free Subway lunches for all in attendance. Twenty-six youth, ages 2-5 and 12-17, were gathered for holiday fun.

When it’s hard to make ends meet, a holiday meal is something many families simply cannot afford. Unfortunately, this means many of them miss out on the quality time and memories that happen at the family table during the holidays.

This year, our annual Turkey Brigade is ensuring that families in our In-Home Family Services program don’t miss out on this holiday bonding time. With your help, we’ll be providing them with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

More than 150 people turned out for Boys Town California’s 20th Anniversary Gala Celebration hosted at The Center Club in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Saturday, October 8. The event raised thousands of dollars to continue funding services for the children and families of California. 

Participation in extracurricular activities at school like sports, academics and clubs can have a profound and positive effect on youth. That’s why it’s so important that Boys Town youth have the opportunity to be involved whenever possible. 

Thanks to generous people like Brad Logsdon, a Boys Town California donor since 2006, one youth from a Boys Town California Treatment Family Home recently realized his dream of participating in high school sports. 

“Bringing out the best in kids.”

That’s the motto of the Saddleback Optimist Club of Laguna Woods, and there’s no place the club achieves its goals better than through its volunteer work for the children of Boys Town California.

Over the past five years, the 10-member club has embodied the volunteer spirit in projects ranging from back-to-school giveaways to holiday celebrations, all so the girls and boys in Boys Town California’s care can have happier lives.

Miles Baughman was down to his last chance.

That’s where the teen found himself a few years ago after his bad behaviors snowballed out of control and left him with a choice – go to Boys Town California or go to jail.

Baughman’s life had started to unravel several years earlier. Adopted at birth, Baughman lost his adoptive father in 2001. Distraught over the death, he began acting out and disobeying his mother. Things got worse when she re-married; Baughman would yell at his parents, break things in the home and steal.

Jessie was skeptical about coming to Boys Town California. The 17-year-old was a veteran of the social services and Juvenile Justice systems. She’d lost hope that anyone or any program could ever help her. Before she came to Boys Town California, she’d had multiple failed placements, multiple stays in juvenile hall, a spotty academic record and a variety of criminal charges ranging from theft to assault.