JACOB'S FUND :: Simple gifts

Every human being wants to be loved. We all desire feeling accepted and valued by our families and those closest to us. 

Now imagine that your behaviors are so off-putting that even those you cherish most find it difficult to show you love. Take it one step further by imaging that you’re a child: your mind and body are still changing and developing; your capacity for understanding your own behaviors and how they affect those around you are limited. 

This is a typical story for one of Sharon’s Kids. Simply stated, their lives are very difficult. Many have been abused. Often they are in danger of harming themselves or others. Other forms of therapy have been unsuccessful. Then they meet Sharon, an intensive treatment behavioral health therapist, and they finally catch a glimpse of hope.

As a Red Thread Promise supporter, you may already know the story of the silken red thread of destiny. It is that invisible thread that connects those who are destined to be part of our lives, a thread that my tangle or stretch but never break. Sharon doesn’t simply hold onto the red thread of destiny; it’s tightly wrapped around her heart. In her work, she doesn’t just show these children that they are worthy of love; she helps them envision and achieve a more successful version of themselves. She brings HOPE, something many of these kids have never seen. 

As 2013 drew to a close, Sharon asked for The Red Thread’s partnership to help these hurting children and we accepted. Therapy for her young patients involves a rewards system—a proven motivator for these kids—that she has been paying for out-of-pocket, including simple rewards like: 

• having a friend over to play
• visits to the local shelter to play with the animals
• trips to parks and public library events
• small toys or stuffed animals
• drinks or meals at McDonald’s or Wendy’s
• trips to a bounce facility to play on blow up slides
• pottery painting
• bowling

Often, these outings provide a place for therapy, as the kids’ homes are often chaotic and crowded or have infestations making therapy in their own environment impossible.

With your help, The Red Thread Promise was able to supply gift cards so that Sharon could continue to reinforce good behaviors for children and teens that desperately need to see positive outcomes for positive behavior. Her young patients began benefitting from those gift cards right away! 

In the following posts, we will share some of Sharon’s stories with you. These are your simple gifts in action. Thank you.