Group of local high school girls learn 

to cope with their parent's drug abuse

 

"Some of us have been abandoned by our parents because their addiction was more important. Some of us have lived in cars, garages and storage units because of our parent's drug use. Some of us have been told over and over that we are not good enough. Some of us have taken our younger siblings to work because our parents didn't return home for days at a time." These are just a few of the examples of the suffering endured by a group of girls from a local high school.  They shared their personal stories at the Invest in Youth Breakfast earlier this week.

 

Though they had seemingly insurmountable obstacles, they banded together through an "affected others" group at school.  Under the guidance of a YES counselor, they aired their hopes and fears and learned to make better choices for themselves. Today, the girls are all headed for graduation, a major accomplishment when you think of their burdens.  And many are off to college in the fall.  

 

It's the donations made at the breakfast that help support programs like affected others groups in local schools.  There are many more kids who, like these girls, suffer because of choices made by the adults who are supposed to protect them.  If you would like to make a donation to support underfunded programs, click here.