by Ezra Buchdahl
There have been so many inspiring and heartwarming memories from the past 25 years with Catholic Charities. The most recent moment that took my breath away was a few weeks ago when a girl who is residing in one of our diagnostic units came to my office and asked if she could read me a poem she wrote. Of course, I said “Sure. That would be wonderful.” She proceeded to beautifully read her words about her experiences in the child welfare/foster care system. It was quite powerful and served as another reminder about why what we do is so important and why we need to continue the hard but rewarding work of providing hope and healing to children and families. I don’t cry often, but she brought me to tears.
Part of her poem is “This all started when I was just a little kid. I had big dreams and hoped they be big. Most of my dreams never really came true. So far in my life and what I’ve been through. I always think about how my life should be. But when I listen to my heart it’s always the key.”
This is the latest example of how staff members live the mission and, by doing so, help children find their voices.