A few months ago a friend of mine called and after some discussion, she asked if I might be interested in blogging for a program one of her dear friends owns and runs for troubled teenage boys. It’s called Triumph Youth Services. She knows about the history of my brother and thought this was something I would connect with.
After a little bit of research, a few chats with the wife of the founder, and an afternoon with some of the boys and their parents, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. So for the past several months I’ve been helping update, write for, and maintain the Triumph Youth Services Blog. It’s not necessarily a blog that would be interesting to everyone, but I wanted to bring attention to it in case anyone reading this may have a teenage boy who needs a little extra love and attention or some parents who need some help in guiding their teen in the right direction (we ALL need help and support from those around us and sometimes we have kids who need a more specific and individualized kind of guidance from people who know how to connect with them).
As I was learning more and more about Triumph I kept saying “oh how I wish we would have known about this place when my brother was a teenager.” I really think Sterling and the staff there could have connected with him. There’s obviously no guarantees it would have changed the trajectory of his life, but it couldn’t have hurt. My parents tried just about everything else and still his life took some pretty brutal turns that had a direct impact on our entire family.
I’m not one who asks for help easily. But the more I grow and the more I parent, the more I realize how necessary help is. It doesn’t make us a bad parent. It’s just the way God set things up. Family’s. Community. Support. For each other and for our kids.
Should you or someone you know have a teenager who could use some extra support and guidance, I would highly recommend checking out Triumph. It’s not just for drug or alcohol addiction, though those are part of it. They help boys in all different areas. Low Self-esteem, depression, gaming addiction, PTSD, Reactive Attachment disorder, mood/anxiety disorders, bipolar, behavioral problems, academic struggles….
I’ve posted a few interviews from boys who have gone through the program on the Triumph blog. It’s definitely tough and very demanding to graduate from the program but there’s NO doubt it changes the course of those boys lives.
