In the spirit of giving thanks, we want to pass along some words of gratitude from a family in our care. Because of our donors, we have been able to build wraparound services to support entire families and get them the care they need to get their needs met. Because our donors make this possible, the following letter is just as much of a THANK YOU to you, our donors, as it is to the incredible staff members who have worked directly with this family. The letter recently came to our In-Home Family Services team from a mother whose family has been utilizing Boys Town programs for quite some time. They have received In-Home Family Services, Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and Behavioral Health services. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did.
Good morning,
I wanted to email you to say THANK YOU for everything you have done for my family! I don't think you realize how much of an impact you have made on the 3 of us! Matthew has come so far and so has Emily and I! We definitely wouldn't be where we are today without your help! I will never be able to THANK you enough!
Today is the day we pick up the keys to our new house (we are eventually going to buy it) and the day to a new beginning for my family! With your help, I learned to let go of all those yucky things that happened to me in the past and allowed myself to learn from them rather than to dwell on them, and because of that, I've met an amazing man that I will be spending the rest of my life with! My kids love this man too! I never in a million years thought I'd be where I am today, and I definitely never thought I'd say that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with another man! You've helped Matthew and I so much by helping us build up our self-esteem and confidence! Yes, this happened fast, but as I told you the last time I talked to you, it feels right! My heart feels complete! Matthew has even let Dave into his heart in this short amount of time, and you know that boy doesn't do that. That's another reason why I know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with this man! Dave and Matthew already have an amazing relationship and that fills my heart with so much joy! Dave will call and text Matthew just to say “Have a good day" or “I'm proud of you buddy!" That's more than his dad has ever done! The relationship that Dave and Matthew have already is so amazing! They laugh, joke and even try to play tricks on me! I'm finally starting to see the side of Matthew that I haven't seen in a long time! He's always been a jokester and that is coming back! Do some of his jokes get on my nerves, yes, but that's the Matthew that he used to be a long time ago!
Matthew is doing pretty good at school, but has had a few hiccups because of the changes in moving to Ms. Tiller's room, and we just found out that Mrs. R is leaving! That totally sucks, but as Matthew said to me last night, “Mom, it's time for me to learn how to build new relationships with new people!" WOW! Can you say PROUD MAMA moment! I hope you realize that he's able to say that because of everything you have helped teach him! I've taught him a lot too! GAH, I can't believe how far he has come! Yes, he drives me crazy and we still have our ups and downs, but he truly is a smart, amazing kid, and I can honestly and proudly say that's because I have never given up on him!
Thank you will never be enough for all that you have done for us! You will ALWAYS have a special place in our hearts! I can't wait for you to see our new house! As soon as we get all moved in and settled, we will have you over!
Thank you for teaching me that I matter and for helping me learn that I need to take care of me b4 I can be the mom that I need to be for these babies of mine! I'm so much happier now and it's an amazing feeling!
OK, I'm done with my sappiness!
Vallery ❤️
This moving letter of a mother and family overflowing with gratitude is a tribute to all our donors (like you!) and the hardworking employees who come together to help struggling children and families heal and thrive. It is with a full and thankful heart that we wish our donors, friends, families and dedicated employees a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
