This Thanksgiving, most of us are thankful for our families and friends. Many people have more than enough to be thankful for. Unfortunately, there are children in this world today who are thankful just to be safe. The children served by the Childhelp Merv Griffin Village are truly just thankful for their safety this holiday season.
I have had first-hand experience with the children served at the Childhelp Merv Griffin Village. These children have experienced very little love and positivity in their lives. My daughter and I had the opportunity to be “special friends” to the most precious boy you can imagine who was a resident at the Childhelp Merv Griffin Village. This young 10-year-old boy had undergone horrific abuse and the Village at Beaumont was his only solution. My oldest daughter Grace and I had decided to “adopt” this sweet boy as our special friend.
A special friend is an outreach that Childhelp does, where one can “adopt” a child from the Village. There are certain requirements such as visiting the child four times a year – typically holiday related. Our first time meeting Max (name changed), my daughter Grace and I had brought him a gift. Max surprisingly was so loving that he gave Grace his one and only toy, a cute stuffed bear that he had at the Village on his bed.
I was so stunned by his reaction. To think that this child who had experienced the worst life had to offer, yet had such a big and generous heart truly amazed me! To this day, we still have that bear. Max was the most precious boy and Grace and I still think about him fondly, as he has now been rehabilitated and left the Village. We had many special times with Max and we learned so much from him.
Grace and I this Thanksgiving are giving thanks to have been so fortunate to experience being special friends to a child as warm and loving as Max. If you are looking for something meaningful to do this holiday season, I urge you to look into helping the children at the Childhelp Merv Griffin Village and becoming a special friend.
For more information and to become a special friend, connect with Diana Correa at dcorrea@childhelp.org or 951-845-3155.
To learn more about the Childhelp Merv Griffin Village, and how it is making a positive impact on the lives of children and providing them a place to be safe, please visit:
www.childhelp.org/residential-treatment-facilities/merv-griffin-village/
Kindly,
Betsy