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Making a Difference: Children’s Homes teaches
Amanda true meaning  of ‘family’ while helping to build
her self-esteem

By helping her feel protected, nurtured and restored, Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes gave Amanda stability and helped build her self-esteem.

Amanda’s improved self-confidence and strong faith in God are guiding her as she pursues a college degree at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She plans to enter a career in journalism and write for a newspaper or magazine someday.

“My favorite journalism articles have been the ones when I have included other people’s input and have given my opinion,” Amanda says. “I would love to write about different cultures and interview leaders in countries outside the United States.”

A relative privately placed Amanda at the Gardendale, Alabama group home when she was in high school. She was already making good grades in school when she came to live at the Children’s Homes, but she lacked the self-esteem to apply her book knowledge.

“I was enrolled in honors classes and I kept my grades up, but just believing in myself was the most difficult thing to achieve,” Amanda says. “During my senior year in high school, I struggled in math. My Children’s Homes social worker, Carolyn Clendenin, encouraged me by telling me she knew I could do it and by helping me find tutors. I ended up succeeding and passing the class!”

Amanda scored high when she took the ACT exam the first time, Carolyn says. “But we encouraged her to keep taking it to realize her full potential.”

Amanda says that at the Children’s Homes, she truly experienced two and one-half years of “family.” She credits Carolyn and houseparents June and Woody LaFontaine for encouraging her to grow in her relationship with Jesus Christ.
“I was a Christian early in life, so I knew about it,” Amanda says. “When I came to the group home, however, we had devotionals, and Mrs. June, Mr. Woody and Mrs. Carolyn gave me Christian examples to follow. I was encouraged to go on mission trips and to be an active member in our church, which helped me grow the most.”
After Amanda returned from a mission trip to Germany, her houseparents and social worker immediately saw changes in her life.

"She had learned to be bold in speaking up for her beliefs,” Carolyn says. “This was noticeably different from the extremely moody girl who preferred to stay socially isolated when she first came to Gardendale.

"Before Amanda went on the mission trip, it would make my day when I would go out to visit the group home and she would smile,” Carolyn adds. “I would intentionally say to her that her smile was what I had been waiting for. When she would pout and complain to gain negative attention, I wouldn’t respond until her attitude would improve.”

Amanda initially had trouble trusting the LaFontaines and Carolyn. “I just learned to trust them after they consistently showed me love,” she says.

June, Woody and Carolyn made special efforts to acknowledge Amanda’s wise decisions and good behavior. Complementing Amanda’s appearance and acknowledging her when she treated the other girls nicely helped to make her feel loved.

Amanda says she also felt loved when she realized that she wouldn’t be abused when she misbehaved and was disciplined.

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Alabama Baptist Children's Homes - Central Administration
P.O. Box 361767, Birmingham, AL 35236-1767
Phone: 205-982-1112, Toll Free: 888-720-8805, Fax: 205-982-9992

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