A young boy used to pain finds genuine support and love
For most of his young life, Cory, age 12, only knew heartache! His mother had passed away from cancer, and his father responded by drinking to escape the pain of his true love dying early.
It was not uncommon for Cory to be on the receiving end of abuse when the father came home drunk and took out his pain on the young boy.
Cory was usually good at hiding his bruises. However, one day, he forgot. He lifted his shirt to wipe off some sweat from his face, and a teacher saw a large bruise on his stomach. After talking to Cory, the teacher called the authorities, and the boy was brought to The Salvation Army’s Sally’s House in Spokane.
While the father was arrested, the staff at Sally’s House tried to reassure Cory that he was safe. However, despite the abuse, the scared boy wanted to go home. For the first two days, Cory kept to himself and ate very little.
Staff continued to reach out to the boy and let him know that he was loved and cared for. Soon, through counseling, Cory tearfully spoke to Sally’s House staff about the trauma he had experienced at home. He began to talk more and interact with other children, too, both at school and at Sally’s House.
While he began to heal, CPS worked to find a loving foster home for Cory. When one was found, the young boy didn’t want to leave Sally’s House because he had grown fond of the staff and the genuine care he felt.
Cory also enjoyed Christmas for the first time in a few years since his mother passed away. He received numerous nicely wrapped presents at Sally’s House on Christmas morning, as well as a hot delicious breakfast. Upon seeing the stack of gifts before him, all Cory could say was “Wow. This for me?”
On the day Cory’s foster parents picked him up, the young boy shed tears again, but not from trauma. This time, as he said, it’s because “I’m going to miss Sally’s House. I feel loved here.”
To help support Sally’s House and the positive results being made, please consider making a tax-deductible donation by visiting www.makingspokanebetter.org and clicking on Donate to this Community. Include that your gift is for ‘use at Sally’s House Spokane.’