“I get to be a kid.”

Ms. O, a youth care counselor at St. Joe’s, had some playtime of her own with our #sjkids in the bouncy house at Gallrein Farms. She will be celebrating her second anniversary with us in December and says one of the benefits of working at St. Joe’s is that she can connect with her inner child. “I get to be a kid.”

Recreational activities aside, knowing she can help children heal from their trauma is gratifying. “I was in a treatment facility at age 15. I want to be that support for them that I wished I had as a kid.” And she has the chance to witness the impact she’s had on some of our children. “One of the kids who was discharged [from our residential program], sent a letter to me thanking me for not giving up on her.” She adds, “This job teaches you life skills. You are learning to work on yourself. The kids are teaching you stuff while you are teaching them stuff.”

If you want to make a difference in the lives of our SJ kids, apply for one of our youth care counselor positions here: http://bit.ly/3HJ2D5s