Family
Brian: Family connections are family connections. It really doesn't matter what we think or what our opinions are about those connections. As kids get older and they become adults, just as we would do, they tend to go back to what they know and what they're comfortable with which is their families.
Amanda: This family was referred in October of 2009 due to domestic violence. The three year old was present for two of the incidents that were reported.
Jason: Before we interacted with Boys Town I was a substance abuser and just not really whole as a person. I was kind of bouncing around back and forth just kind of doing whatever I wanted to do and not really paying attention to what really matters the most in life which are my fiance and my children.
Amanda: Mom and Dad expressed their desire to want to be together but they...it was definitely an unhealthy relationship.
Alondra: Me and him were continuously fighting in front of Nevaeh and stuff and it just wasn't very healthy and my Mom jumped in and said, "Hey, Nevaeh doesn't deserve this" and she just kind of took her out of the picture because we needed to work on ourselves. She was about two or three when she got taken out from us.
Amanda: When I first started working with this family, Mom was in denial of the domestic abuse, really made a lot of excuses for Dad. Eventually he did admit that he was an alcoholic and admitted that a lot of his domestic abuse occurred after he had spent time drinking.
Jason: I admitted myself into a rehabilitation center and after that I went to a halfway house for six months or so and then after that got my stuff together. Graduated all my classes. I learned a lot more about myself and a lot more about responsibility.
Amanda: I would work on him with his parenting skills and talk with him about his problem solving and his decision making.
Jason: I lean more toward Amanda. She had my back on a lot of stuff like anything even besides problems I would have she would always have answers or some kind of solution to deal with something.
Amanda: I help him with a lot of things involving the family. The housing was a big issue for Mom and Dad at the time and just helping to support them through that. Teaching Mom and Dad parenting skills so they can better parent their three year old.
Alondra: She actually has Dandy-Walker Syndrome. It's excessive fluid in the brain. That didn't happen until she was two. We've been through a lot with her. So, she's a trooper. I think that made us a little bit stronger as a family too with her and everything we went through with her. I am where I am because Amanda helped me and she put me on the right foot to being where I am now. I am happy with my family and that means everything to me.
Amanda: Working with this family has been very rewarding because they are able to express the things that they appreciate that I've helped them with. It is always good to hear from those families and to know that if they need something that they could really reach out too, that really shows that I've built that trust and relationship with them.
Jason: I do feel like Boys Town has made a positive change in my life just by standing by my side and letting me, reassuring me that I could do what I put my mind to do and I am. It all worked out for me. I feel like I am a total better person than I was two, three years ago.
