I am pretty much amazed on a daily basis about the creative works made by our kids here.  They have a knack for drawing, creating, writing, coloring and cutting---even folding letters into intricate patterns.  I, myself, do not have such a creative gene so I admire them even more I suppose.

But, truth be told, not all of the kids are able to make such effortless works.  Some struggle with the basics of writing and cutting longer than they should.  These kids often receive therapy from our resident PTs to improve their fine motor skills.  In class, they often work one-on-one with a teacher on projects and they also have Individualized Instruction, which is more one-on-one time with a teacher in addition to their regular classes to improve on the skills they are having difficulty mastering.  It is a HUGE blessing that our school and shelter can offer all of these specialized services because these kids, our kids, would be lost in a public or even private school where class sizes are 30 or 35 to 1 teacher.

Below is a picture I took of a very special gift given to me.  It was a class project, given to me on the day it was completed.  It is, as the teacher described, "a labor of love."  The child who gave this to me will be 7 in August, but he cannot yet write his name without hand-over-hand assistance from his teacher.  He is a child who received therapy to learn how to put on his socks and shoes for several months before he had mastered it.  He is a child who is still receiving therapy for cutting skills and other fine motor activities.  He worked really hard on this for a long time.  Cutting on the lines is a difficult task for him, following a curve or cutting irregular shapes, nearly impossible.  But he did it.  

He had ran up to me and excitedly given it before his class was about to start.  The kids love to give letters, flowers and things like that so I accepted it with a smile.  Later I realized it must have been a class project and I figured he needed it still.  I approached his teacher to ask if he would need it to complete assignments.  She said no, but she shared that it was a very hard work for him to complete.  What a treasure it is to me!  

I consider my work here to be a significant blessing to ME.  Visitors often come here and thank me for what I do, but really, no thanks is needed.  Every day I receive so many gifts that it is almost not right to call this work.  God’s hand is on this place and I am blessed to be here, in His palm. 

Thank you for supporting this ministry, for praying for all of us.  When I look at this child’s work, I am humbled by his gift.  I can see how hard he worked to make it, the painstaking care he took as he cut.  But I also see his progress, how far he’s come and it is because of CSC.  And it is because of all of you, who care, who get on your knees to pray, for these kids, for this work, so we can give them what they need.