| Cassie didn't know why the Daddy she loved hurt her, said terrible things to her, and always criticized her. She didn't even know what some of the words he used meant.
But Cassie did know to be afraid of her Daddy. She also learned that she couldn't talk about any of these things or Daddy would get even madder at her. Cassie learned to live in a state of fear.
By age seven, Cassie had suffered physical, mental, and sexual abuse that was even affecting her little brother. But Cassie continued to learn. She learned that if she took the brunt of the abuse, Daddy would leave Mommy and her little brother alone.
Cassie never felt safe, never felt loved, and never felt that she could depend on anyone to protect her.
Cassie is fifteen now and acting out. She is sexually promiscuous, doesn't attend school on a regular basis, smokes, frequently runs away from home, and generally has little to look forward to and has little hope. She has no where to go and no one to help her.
Cassie is at a crossroads. She needs someone to offer help and counseling. Cassie needs the commitment to help her feel safe for the first time in her life, to show her that all adults and men are not bad, to help her understand her worth and that she deserves to be loved like any child.
Will you be the one to make a difference for Cassie?
You can join Community Youth Network's Hope and Healing Club. Members give gifts on a monthly basis, which provides CYN with an extremely effective source of income. It is effective because it is reliable. Contact Sarah Mathe at 847.548.6000 x 29 or sarahm@cyngrayslake.org to find out how you can make a difference to someone like Cassie! |