Andrea's story

Andrea, by her own admission, used to be a handful. But that was a result of the years of abuse she has endured in her short life. In and out of foster care since she was 7, life wasn't easy. What she had lived through gave her a very negative outlook on life, herself and whether she had a future. She estimates that she lived in at least 30 different foster homes in the past four years.

While Andrea accepts that she didn't help her situation by abusing drugs, all she really wanted was someone to give her a chance. Last July, her outlook changed when she came to Hacienda Girls Ranch. Andrea says she was "...finally given some of the things I had always wanted: a place to call my own, my own things and a chance to prove myself."

Andrea realizes she'll probably never have a normal childhood, but she can still see the positives in her experience.

"I've already experienced more than people twice my age, but I've been given the gifts of wisdom, courage and confidence," she says. "All I've ever wanted was a stable place and a chance at living. Now that I have that at 15, I haven't had any trouble at Hacienda."

Helping girls like Andrea is not as difficult as it may seem. Making a difference can be as simple as "home," described in the following poem written by Andrea.

"Your Home" written by Andrea S.

Home
What is home?
To you it may be as simple as a roof over your head
A place in the sun, or even wherever the heart lies
But to some, it's different.
All these things you take for granted,
Someone out there's never had.
Many people run the streets alone with nowhere to go
Because they're from a broken home.

Look into their eyes, what do you see?
Looks of loneliness, sadness, pain, desperation and hopelessness.
All they want is someone to be near
For they have no one in which their world to share
Their hopes, their dreams, their fears.

Why not, when thinking of your everyday life
Include them in too?
Give them something to hope and see!