|
Sheena's Story
 As
a little girl, I remember being moved from one place
to another. Those days left me with unhappy feelings.
I truly did not know where my life was heading, or if
anyone would truly care for me. I felt like this for
many years until I found a place I could call home.
Cunningham Children's Home has impacted me in a way
I will never forget.
It was the summer of 1999 and I ended up with this new
placement at Cunningham. As I walked through the doors
I had reservations that this placement would be the
same as the others. To my surprise this was not the
same as the others. There was a difference that I just
could not pinpoint but I knew it made me feel different
inside.
As time went by the weeks turned into months and months
turned into years, my life had changed because of the
caring people who had taken time out for me. During
my stay I was taught how to be thankful for what I have
instead of complaining about what I did not have. Also
they taught me that just because you had a difficult
and traumatizing life that there can be a bright future
at the end.
Over the many years at Cunningham there were several
individuals that made a big impact on my life. The way
that they have impacted me is indescribable. Before
I had come to Cunningham I was filthy dirty because
my caregivers didn't care about what I looked like,
frankly neither did I. For you see, I always wore clothes
that were wrinkled, dirty, mismatched and too small
for me. However, there was a certain staff that took
me under her wing as if I were her own child and taught
me to care about my self-image.
The staff helped me realize that I had a lot of good
qualities about myself and looks were not everything.
She helped me improve my self-image, taught me how to
relate to others, made me realize that no one is perfect,
and that we can learn from our own mistakes. Through
talk outs with my caseworker we dug down deep into my
feelings.
During our sessions she would tell me to think about
my past and search deep within myself to reveal my true
feelings about my mother. Most of the times I would
be angry with this staff because I knew deep down inside
that she was right but I did not want to admit it. In
facing reality, I did have hateful feelings toward my
mother. Once I truly learned whom my anger was directed
toward, I was able to identify who was actually there
to cheer me on and support me. I admire this caseworker
for a job well done and support throughout those years.
 As
a result of these caring people at Cunningham, I have
matured into a different young lady today. Since my
time at Cunningham, I have learned to be an independent
individual. I currently live in a foster home. This
placement was acquired because of my progress as well
as my stability. I am close to attaining my goal of
graduating from high school. Without these placements
I feel I would not have accomplished this.
In conclusion, it is important to have people who support
you, care for you, and guide you down the right path
helping you along the way. At Cunningham, this took
place throughout this critical time in my life. This
impacted me in a way that I will never forget. Who know
where I might have been without this help. Thank you
so much for your caring support. All of you will never
be forgotten.
<<Return
to the Main Alumni Page
|
