A much needed Shelter.

*** 1st - thanks again for more great advice. The taking away is working. Last night one of his Bakugan's was thrown in the trash. I want to get it out so bad and hide it.***

Now for the post........

This past Saturday a friend and I took our kids to a shelter to see another side of life. This shelter is for homless kids age 10 and up. We took much needed donations, clothes and gloves, hats, etc. I cleaned out my oldest sons closet.

We decided to hang out for awhile too and meet the kids. Turns out there were only 2 boys there at the time, some others were out on a "pass."

We met Jordan, 14 and Herman 16. Both of them were very nice young men. My friend played pool with Herman and Janice the woman that runs the place at night. I watched my oldest play foosball with Jordan. My son who is 12 beat the pants off Jordan. Apparently Jordan is "king" of foosball and pool so it was pretty funny watching a younger kid mop the floor with him. Jordan took it all in stride, he was impressed and not in the least bit bothered by this kid beating him. I however was amazed and did not even know my son knew how to play foosball.

My younger son played air hockey with my friends son and Janice kept score. We all had a great time. I think Herman even played football with my oldest on playstation 2.

Does it sound like this shelter has a lot of fun things? Yeah it does. But let me tell you something. Everything there was donated and not in very good shape. The pool table has a huge rip in the felt and there is only one stick. The Playstation game is old and they only have 2 games. There is a dart board with no darts. There are at least 6 guitars that do not work, one that does but there are not any pics or music to play.

Jordan was fiddling with the one good guitar, so I started chatting with him. He can play a little but it is hard when there is not any music to follow and then he tried to play a song with a pencil since there was no pic. I learned that he used to play the trombone. This gave me an "in" my son plays the trumpet. He has not played his trombone for 2 years because he is not at that school anymore.

If you are at this shelter you go to school there. You are taken out of your current school and forced to go there. He said he cannot go to a new school until next fall. This seemed to upset him, so conversation over.

Now - here comes the sad part. A lot of the times these kids are troubled or runaways but MOST of the time it is the other way around. Their parents do NOT want them.

I started asking Janice questions about the boys. I learned that both of these boys have mothers that said, I'm done, I do not want you anymore. They both have younger siblings that they are seperated from. Jordan had been there 3 weeks that day and will be there at least 90 days total, Herman only about a week longer. They both will spend CHRISTMAS in this place.

After 90 days they try to place them in foster care. Rarely do the parents change their minds and want them back. Even if they did there is a lot to go through to get them back. THERE damn well better be. Parents that give up their kids is the most disturbing thing to me.

I learned that people donate to this shelter pretty often but rarely does anyone stay and hang out like we did. I was told the boys will talk about it non stop the minute we leave.

I told Janice I would be back. I have now raided my husbands closet and found clothes to fit these boys because they need them badly.

On the way home, I asked my oldest if he understood why we went there. He had no clue. So I explained why those boys were there, every detail including the mother giving them up.

He said, we have it really good.

I hope to go back this weekend, I wish I could bring Jordan home, he is so sweet. We can take them on outings so I probably will, both boys if I can afford it or take my friend with me.

I got a lot out of going and I want to help. I have always donated things but never got involved with something like this.

Oh yeah and I am off to get some guitar music and a pic too and maybe donate some of my sons PS2 games. ;)