For as long as Jasmine could remember, it was just her and her mom. Her parents divorced when she was a baby, and her father moved out of state. He was not part of her life, but it didn’t bother her because she was so close to her mom.

Jasmine enjoyed a happy and stable childhood. Even though her mom didn’t have a lot of money, she made sure that Jasmine always had clean clothes that fit her and food on the table. Jasmine remembers this time of her life as one of blissful happiness.

But when Jasmine was 10 years old, everything changed. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and became very ill. Jasmine did everything she could to help her mom out, including cleaning the house, doing laundry, making meals, and shopping for groceries. Even though it was exhausting, she was willing to do anything to help her mom.

Sadly, after years of being sick, Jasmine’s mother died. Jasmine was so devastated that she couldn’t even think straight. It was impossible to imagine life without her mom.

Jasmine was sent to live with her elderly aunt who she barely knew. Overcome with grief, Jasmine struggled to get out of bed each day and go to school. She didn’t do her homework anymore. She stopped talking to her friends. At first, her aunt tried to force her to attend school and complete her homework, but quickly gave up. Jasmine barely left her aunt’s house. She failed all her classes. Things seemed darker than they had ever been.

At her wit’s end, Jasmine’s aunt asked her pastor for advice on how to help Jasmine. He told her aunt about Mercy Home, a place that could provide Jasmine with the support she needed to work through her grief and get back on track at school.

When Jasmine’s aunt told her about our Home, Jasmine was skeptical. She didn’t believe that a bunch of strangers could help her or would even care about what she was going through. But she was also desperate for anything that could help her, so she agreed to give it a try.

When she first moved into Mercy Home, Jasmine was reserved and withdrawn. She didn’t interact with the other girls and she barely spoke to any of our coworkers. It was a difficult few months.

But eventually, Jasmine began to warm up to the other girls. She realized that many of them had also been through difficult things and could related to their stories. She also began to trust our coworkers and started opening up in therapy about the struggles she was having. Jasmine put her mind to improving her grades and began working diligently with her tutors to catch up in school.

Now that Jasmine has been at Mercy Home for nearly a year, she has amazed us with the progress she has made. Her grades have improved, along with her relationships with our other young women and our coworkers.

And it’s all because of friends like you that this was possible! Thank you for giving kids like Jasmine the opportunity to overcome difficult circumstances and look toward brighter futures.