Former resident applauds Saxton staff

CASEY RESSLER

Frontiersman Valley Life editor

Four years ago, Nick was a 16-year-old self-described "bad kid," who had been in trouble with the law and was headed down the wrong path in life.

Then he went to the Dorothy Saxton Shelter, and turned his life around.

"I was always in trouble, I was in jail, and then I came here, and they gave me the time to think about what I wanted to do with my life," said Nick, whose last name isn't being used to preserve his anonymity. "Coming here was a good experience. I'm doing good now. I've got a job, and a little girl on the way in November."

Nick's story is like many others. He was always in trouble, and at 15, he "got booted" from his home.

"I was hitchhiking 250 miles in every direction, just looking for a place to crash," he said. "I've come a long way from being booted out at 15."

Nick stayed at the Dorothy Saxton Shelter for three months. He said having a regular schedule, yet having the flexibility to look for a job and have personal time, contributed to his ability to turn things around.

"They teach you life skills that you need. I needed some flexibility, and they gave it to me," Nick said.

He said an average day at the shelter began with waking up and going downstairs to the kitchen area for breakfast.

After cleaning up and doing some chores, he and his sheltermates would have fun together, and then look for jobs in the afternoon. In the evening, they would eat dinner together, enjoy an activity or two and then call it a night.

"I needed that kind of structure to change. If I hadn't come here, I'd probably still be in jail," Nick said. "I was a lot better off when I left the shelter than when I got here.

"I didn't have quite a big a chip on my shoulder as I had when I got here, and I got rid of my attitude," Nick said.

Nick said he kept in contact with a couple of the guys he met at the shelter for a few years following their stay there.

"They were just like me - in trouble, just needing a little bit of help," he said. "We all figured out what we wanted to do with our lives, though."

Executive Director Rich McGill said helping to form those kinds of relationships is what the shelter is all about.

"The staff has been taught how to relate to kids, and how to become their allies," McGill said. "If we build stronger relationships, these kids are more prepared to be united with their families."