The heat is on at Brave Hearts

By Michele King
Special to the Pioneer Times
    Back in September, I published an article titled “Island Falls Pulls Together to Bolster Boys Home.” You may remember that our organization, Brave Hearts, purchased the former Milliken Medical Center to start a home for teen-aged boys. It seems the right time for an update on our progress and to share some dreadful information I uncovered.
    In regard to our progress, I would say we were naïve to think that heating an 8,000 square foot building would be the biggest roadblock to starting Brave Hearts. Trying to revive a 50-year-old steam boiler for the first half of the winter was challenging, dirty and expensive. Old circulators caused the light bill to climb to hundreds of dollars a month and the boiler itself drank fuel like hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night! When the new heating system came online, you could hear our sigh of relief but not a peep out of the quiet, extremely efficient system. Once we overcame that hurdle, we continued on with the renovations of the living spaces on the first floor. It is now nearing completion and we look forward to moving up to the second floor. But no matter how long the hours, how costly the renovations, or the set backs we have encountered, none was as disheartening as our research into the current state of children in Maine.
    In the U.S. in 2005, 25,000 kids aged out of the foster care system. Statistically, 1 in 4 will be incarcerated within two years; 1 in 5 will become homeless; and less than 3 percent will receive college degrees.
    In Maine, there were 1,316 first time juvenile offenders and more than 25 percent will return. In Maine, 318 children were homeless and of those 26.7 percent were not accompanied by an adult. In the U.S., there were 79,893 15- to 19-year-olds. Of those, 3,835 lived in a non-family household and 2,310 children, 16-19, were not in school nor employed.
    Are you as shocked as I was? Saddened? Do you see the enormity of the problem that faces our upcoming generation and wonder who is going to do something about it?
    Before I go any further, please understand this is not a rant about state government. In fact it’s the opposite as I have discovered they are passionate about finding children permanent, loving homes and doing it as economically feasible as possible. Besides I feel this is not a government problem, it’s a societal problem. The state of Maine did not create the home environments that resulted in neglected, abused, or abandoned children or homes in which a parent(s) lack the skills or desire to raise healthy, successful children. The state already provides funding to treat children with physical or developmental needs. But because our home would provide housing and life skills education to their population, there is no funding specific to this purpose.
    So who should help with this problem? If we don’t help these kids before they become adults, we will be supporting them when they are unemployed, homeless, or incarcerated. Isn’t it more noble to help now to provide a bright future for a child who has been dealt a crummy deal early in life?
    Do you have children? Imagine them without family; trying to become somebody. Who do they call when they have exciting news or a bad day? How do they know what to do with frozen pipes and sick children? Where do they go during holidays and vacation when they are away at school? How do they ever believe in the person they can be without someone encouraging and praising them along the way? What chance do they have at success as an adult without loving guidance as a child?
    The heat is on at Brave Hearts. We have some kids to help now. Will you help too?
    For more information on ways you can help, contact me online at mking@braveheartsmaine.org or www.braveheartsmaine.org.