I grew up in Simpsonville, and didn’t know Generations Group Home existed until very recently (in my defense, I was a kid in the early 90s when it started).
On a weekday afternoon at Grateful Brew, I met with Scott Stephens, Director of Development at Generations, and right away, his passion to help was clear. I had the opportunity to hear about all the lives this organization has been changing and honestly, these stories broke my heart into pieces but are definitely worth sharing.
Generations started in 1991 with a very particular goal in mind: to prevent sexual abuse by helping neglected or at-risk adolescent males overcome sexually abusive behaviors. Many of the boys at Generations have committed a crime, and rather than sending them to juvie, a judge sends them to Generations.
To date, Generations has helped over 800 boys and has a 98% success rate (meaning 98% of those who graduate their program have not become repeat offenders).
The boys at Generations have issues that are sometimes hard to talk about, and therefore, are swept under the rug. It’s hard to categorize them, and it’s hard for most of us to understand the struggles they face daily. The goal of Generations is to stop the revolving door; it’s to prevent the cycle of abuse from generation to generation (hence the name).
Last month, our GVLtoday team was invited to their annual luncheon and we were incredibly impressed by the boys of Generations. Many of them stood on a podium in front of a thousand people and told their stories, talked about their struggles and looked at how far they’ve come. Their strength shown bright as these young boys admitted their wrongdoings and dreams for their future. I don’t know many adults who could admit their mistakes, so truly, a round of applause of them. 👏🏻
Here’s what the boys of Generation need most: your time. They need members of their community supporting them, rallying behind them, helping and teaching them, believing in them. If you’re interested in making a HUGE difference in their lives, click here to learn more.
As always, money is an object in the nonprofit world so donations are always needed. You can learn more about that here.
