Raising teenage boys can be difficult, so imagine the challenges of housing, serving and caring for boys 13-18 years old who are not able to live in their own homes and have been
abandoned, abused or neglected by their family of origin...
That's precisely what Hunterdon Youth Services/Binnacle House does … and right here in Hunterdon County. The organization has been safeguarding children, strengthening families, and building responsible citizens since 1979. What began as an emergency shelter for local children has expanded into a continuum of care--providing residential care, individual and group counseling, life-skills training, vocational rehabilitation, academic excellence, and family-of-origin engagement with the primary goal that the youth will be able to leave the program and be reunited safely with their families.
That's precisely what Hunterdon Youth Services/Binnacle House does … and right here in Hunterdon County. The organization has been safeguarding children, strengthening families, and building responsible citizens since 1979. What began as an emergency shelter for local children has expanded into a continuum of care--providing residential care, individual and group counseling, life-skills training, vocational rehabilitation, academic excellence, and family-of-origin engagement with the primary goal that the youth will be able to leave the program and be reunited safely with their families.
Zion member, Kristina Maiwaldt, has been involved with the organization for several years and has seen first-hand how $3,000 of Zion's Endowment Fund earnings (see “Endowment Fund News”) can help improve the lives of these thoughtful, thankful, and determined boys, many of whom come to the home with only the clothes on their backs. Best of all, many leave the home successfully rehabilitated and confident to begin new lives. Some even come back as volunteer mentors/role models to help the younger boys.
Currently, there is a practical need to renovate and improve the home's outdated kitchen, where the boys need the nourishment to begin and end their days, share meals, and do meal prep and cleanup. The kitchen is the heart of the home and the place where the most good can be done with the help of Zion. Truly, this is money will be put to a very needed cause for a local group of kids that attend area schools, primarily Hunterdon Central.
Located on Sandhill Road in Raritan Township, Hunterdon residents drive by this home regularly without knowing the personal struggles that go on inside--and the important service that is creating brighter futures for youth and families.
For more information about Hunterdon Youth Services, see www.hunterdonyouthservices.org and stay tuned for updates from the boys who are very gracious about follow up and staying in touch.
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