Jim
and I are adamant about supporting the Midcourse Correction Challenge Camp in
Michigan. Many that follow my blog or
know me personally are aware that I did a great deal of research into their
organization. I wanted to try to
determine which program in Michigan my step-son Dan would see as the most
reflective of what he would have wanted
for himself and others to help make it ‘through
the rain’, the trials in his life.
This
organization was a clear stand out. Talking to Richard Wood, the Executive Director
only put an exclamation point to the decision.
Never have we looked back. Thus,
though little funds have been garnished, to date, for the fund we started in
Jim’s son’s name, we are steadfast in our commitment in doing what we can do
support and promote this Camp.
To
that end, I want to share a few recent stories to come out of Midcourse I
learned of recently, since my last writing on the Camp. In addition to their Challenge Camps they
also have a much more intense Honor Company program attendees can return
to. This is far better explained by
visiting their site, listed below.
This
Honor Company program shows just
how much progress can be made with
teens after attending the first camp.
At
a recent Camp, one young man spoke to the Director about how he had been
released from drug use finally. Life
begins anew for this young man now, free from the bondage of drug use and put
on a new course to live with goals in place.
How can this be accomplished in a weekend camp? Ask yourself if the cost is too much to
pay? Would you want to help someone live
drug free for a small token of change?
Another
attendee had returned a few weeks ago and proudly showed how his failing grades
from his attendance at the first camp were now all B’s. He had come, that first time, literally
kicking and screaming in a car, restrained.
Now, this same young man is like many others that attend and leave this
fine program, forever changed. Attending the Honor Company, he was seen hugging
his parents, asking for forgiveness and committed to knowing his steps now are
the path to a good direction. A life is
saved, he came screaming at one time and is leaving smiled and
invigorated. In my book, that is a
miracle.
Many
know that the leader of the organization, Richard Wood, has a heart of gold. His staff is full of good people on a mission. He
not only believes in the program, he genuinely cares about the parents and the
teens. We feel blessed to know our
donations are guided by his hands, by his heart. We know Dan’s name is saving spirits that
might otherwise be diminished like his shortened life was.
As
a couple, we are not financially well off, by any stretch, but with the little
we have; we find something to give to this fund several times a year, Dan
Bronold Memorial Scholarship Fund. We
quit asking others to give nearly as much because we saw such a lack of
response. If you don’t give to this
program, we understand but please find another one you will support. These
young misguided teens, if not straightened out, can become tomorrow’s criminals
on the street, full of hate. That anger
can be turned inward or outward. They need help, they need direction, and they
need a place like Midcourse to put them on the right course.
And we also pray that when they are misguided they are not put in
a jail cell in isolation and left there with nothing to help them sort their
thoughts out. This Camp believes they
can prevent those unhappy endings. We believe it too, infact, we are hearing
about it often. Amen.
For more information, visit their site: http://www.midcoursecorrection.org/
