Seeing the Whole Picture

The summer has flown by – it’s already August! And we all know what that means – school. Students all across the country are going back to school. Some are eagerly anticipating it, while others are dreading it.

So often we look at our youth and want to take care of the external – ensuring they have an education, food, safety, and greater opportunities when they are in school. Rarely do we see the whole picture of what is going on in their lives. For John Etling, Agency Director at Catholic Charities in Terre Haute, an encounter with a young man named *Ben at Ryves Youth Center forever changed his perspective…

I’ll never forget the day I met Ben. I was giving a tour to a visitor when Ben asked me to shoot some baskets with him. Thinking he was hungry, I sent Ben away to the Kid’s Café with the promise of shooting baskets once he got some food and I finished up my tour.

As promised, Ben and I met in the gym a few hours later to shoot baskets. While we were shooting, one of the other children came into the gym and asked Ben if I was his dad. Ben replied with ease, “yes.” That response touched a place deep in my heart.

You see, Ben’s parents had recently divorced because of addiction issues, Ben’s older brother was in juvenile detention, and Ben was living on the streets, staying with anyone who might take him in for the night.  And here I thought all this kid needed was a nutritious meal. 

I thought, “If Ben needs me to be his dad at this moment then I’m going to be his dad.” Then it dawned on me – that’s exactly what Jesus wants us to be to these kids: dads, moms, brothers, sisters… family.

These kids need our love. Sure we feed them, but we also love them. I believe that’s exactly what Mother Theresa had in mind when she said, “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

Thank you to all who serve as a dad, mom, brother, sister, or friend to the youth in need. We at Catholic Charities are thankful for the love, leadership, and investment that our staff, volunteers, and donors make in the lives of countless youth. 

Won’t you do the same?

*Name changed for privacy