Annually, child protective services deems over 700,000 children abused or neglected, and takes them into custody. Over the month of November, a group of freshman at AHS, have been raising money to make care packages for little girls who have been separated from their families because of abuse or neglect. They made 12 care packages that included things like soap, underwear, a stuffed animal, a plastic tiara, play jewelry, school supplies and more. A couple of the students went to Denver over Thanksgiving break and went to a facility called Tennyson Center for Children, where they donated the care packages. They have 45 permanent residences, either waiting to be adopted or reunited with their families, and kids in grades k-12 who go to the school on campus. All the residents attend the school as well as non-residential students.
“We take care of all the children’s needs here, or at last we try our best,” The receptionist at Tennyson said. “These kids have had a rough start in life and we are here to help them get on the right path.”
At Tennyson, they know how fragile children can be, especially in the early stages of their lives. Holidays can be a very difficult time for children who have experienced trauma because they might miss their families or not be used to having holidays away from home. Tennyson hosts events like a Thanksgiving banquet with a feast and games. For Christmas, they have a party and give the children gifts that were donated.
“Going to Tennyson really made me see how good my life is and gave me a different perspective. It’s great to see what the Tennyson Center does for kids,” Ellie Martin, a freshman at AHS who went to Tennyson, said. “Growing up is hard as it is and these children had to grow up way earlier than they should have. They have all experienced more trauma than child should have to. We’ve grown up in this bubble without really experiencing hardships other people face. That’s why I’m so grateful for what I’ve been given,” Martin said.