Anthony Checks In

Anthony F. checked in by phone with the John Eccles home staff today. He was at the Eccles home in 2008 and was also placed in an Ettie Lee Foster home in 2010. He told the staff that he completed high school, received a scholarship to Cerritos College and would like to enter the Air Force and complete college. This way he can become a lawyer for kids that are in situations like he was. He also thanked the staff for taking such good care of him and making him feel safe.

Anthony F. John Eccles Home, 2008, Ettie Lee Foster Home, 2010

Jay's Story

Jay is a 15 year old with a history of charges relating to robbery, burglary, assault, and vandalism, in the form of tagging, dating back to the age of nine. He admitted to experimenting with various drugs from age 14 and smoked marijuana daily. He lives with his mother and four younger siblings. He has had sporadic contact with his father and his stepfather is incarcerated.

During his six months of placement at Ettie Lee, he struggled with aggression and non compliance. With encouragement from Ettie Lee's staff, Jay began to develop trusting relationships and was able to experience the benefits of the Ettie Lee program. The group home and day program staff, as well as the program therapist consistently worked to help Jay achieve his goal of reunifying with his family, and to develop skills to prevent him from re-offending. He willingly attended school; actively participated in groups at the day program and experienced success home passes until his reunification with his mother.

Arnold S., Robertson Memorial Home 2010

The road was tough but Arnold made it. Arnold was 14 and already had several run ins with the law. He was behind in school, thought that gang life was what he was born to live and believed the world had nothing good to offer him.

Shortly after arriving at Ettie Lee, with the support and understanding of the staff, Arnold began to see things in a new light. He enrolled in day and evening classes so that he could catch up on his credits during the regular school session. He continued his education in summer school, enrolling in both day and night classes again. Still behind on credits, he did not give up hope that he would graduate with all of his fellow students. During all of this he was also working on breaking his attachment to gangs and gang life.

He wanted to choose a better path and with the support of Ettie Lee staff, Arnold graduated high school and returned home with a new outlook on life. He recently informed us he is planning to continue his education.

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A Chance For Matthew

Recently, Matthew was referred to Ettie Lee for his drug use. Although he never knew his father, his mother has raised him and his two sisters with some help from her mother and her brother-Matt's uncle. Matt, age 17, has always felt sad and alone, he says, until he started using marijuana. When asked "what does the marijuana do for you?" he replies with "Happy" and a big grin. Using marijuana made him forget about his anger, his loneliness and his problems. When his uncle died a year ago in a car accident he started smoking a lot more marijuana. His mom too became mad and upset with everything in her life after the accident. Matt's mom began to direct her anger towards Matt.

At Ettie Lee, Matt said his goals were to build a better relationship with his mother and to learn how to communicate instead of leaving the house, which is what he often did to escape conflict. Matt is so glad that Ettie Lee wants to work with him and his mother. Since arriving at the Mt. Jurupa Group Home he has shown much improvement. He is enrolled in our on-site school, has seen our psychiatrist and is in our Intensive Day Program. He and his mother now feel like they have a strong chance of resolving their grief and angst and are excited to be moving forward.

Sergio's Story

Sergio H., age 16, arrived at Ettie Lee's Robertson Memorial home in March ('10). On arrival, he seemed to have no intention of doing anything but gang bang for the rest of his life. Sergio was involved in several serious confrontations and altercations with other residents over their disrespect of his "hood."

Shortly after his second month at Ettie Lee, Sergio received his first Rock Star award for completing many credits at school. Sergio took great pride in his achievement and began to focus more on school and less on gang banging.

Sergio later told a staff member that he knows he can be whatever he wants to be, "but where I come from you have to have somebody to have your back because it's very dangerous in my neighborhood." Even with those obstacles, Sergio still decided to make a serious attempt to stop gang banging.

In June, Sergio found out that he was having a son. That seemed to have a major (positive) impact on him. He started to do extra chores to earn money to help buy a crib for his baby while continuing to excel in school.

A few days before Sergio went to court to be released from Ettie Lee, he tearfully told a staff member the story of his brother who was killed several months prior. It will be especially hard on Sergio now that he is back in his old neighborhood. "My brother was from the same gang as me and those people in my hood didn't do nothing about my brother's death - they didn't do anything to show that my brother died for the hood." Sergio says that he does not want to gang bang and he knows that if he continues to do well in school he can get out of that area.

Sergio has learned a different way of seeing things. In the beginning, gang banging was the only was he knew to survive. After realizing when he applied himself he could graduate from high school made a huge difference in his life. Sergio went home on September 8.

Sergio H., Robertson Memorial Home, 2010

Ettie Lee Holiday 2010

Orlando Is Home

My son, Orlando, has made great improvements since he came to live with me 5 years ago. Although he still struggles with his ADHD, and initial adjustment to our home was challenging, everything has become less of a struggle because he now taking part in our seminary and youth activities. He has grown in every way – spiritually, emotionally and physically. He spends a lot of time with his cousins and is now earning A’s and B’s in school. He even cooks at home and plans to be a cook or a chef when he is done with school. Orlando's life has changed for the better and I am so proud of him.

Parent of Orlando, John Eccles Home '08

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