Stories
Coming soon: Our Stories, a compilation of stories of girls from across the country in a fun, flip book format. In the meantime, please enjoy the stories below.
My baby changed my life
Shannon, age 17, New York
I met my father for the first time when I was 5. He was violent with my mother, abusing her and it hurt me to see what he was doing to her. She was my best friend and I didn’t want to see her injured or crying. Then when I turned 12, I got into [...]
Finding my new family
Shante' Wright, Age 20, New York
Life took a turn for me when I was 10 and my father left us. After he was gone, my mom became a different person, that when the physical and emotional abuse started.I was a good student with good grades and I didn’t get into trouble. But that didn’t stop my mother. At school I [...]
From Crittenton baby to Crittenton leader
Baird Sanders, South Carolina
In 1963, my mother Margaret had no place to go when she was pregnant. Her family had shut the door on her and she was alone and had nowhere to go. I am grateful that she chose adoption for me because I ended up with two wonderful parents, Jim and Rosie Sanders, who are now [...]
Smoking pot at age 9
Maria, age 20, California
I was born in El Salvador October19, 1990 and almost from the beginning I’ve experience a lot of violence in my life. At nine months old I was covered with boiling water over a large part of my body and I still have scars. When I was two years old I was repeatedly hit on [...]
It’s been a long road
Ashley, age 23, Texas
I had an amazing childhood living in California. I was born in Mexico and adopted at birth by two wonderful, loving parents. I was a good kid and never got into trouble. But then when I was 18, I met a handsome 25-year-old guy who I thought was perfect for me. I ignored all the [...]
Coming full circle– My Life
Meaghan, age 33, Colorado
My teen years were full of drugs and gangs and I didn’t care about school. At age 16, to my surprise, I became pregnant. I was lucky to find and attend the Florence Crittenton High School in Denver, Colorado after being referred to the school by my school counselor at my regular high school. Throughout [...]
From war to independence
Catherine, age 21, North Carolina
I have seen terrible things in my life. I grew up in Sierra Leone and I was three years old when the war began and my village was torn apart. I can’t even describe the horrible the violence and murder I saw committed by the rebels. If you saw the movie “Blood Diamonds” you have [...]
I was born in detox
Sabrina, 18 years old , New York
I was born March 29, 1992 in detox. As soon as I was born I was taken from my biological mother because of her drug use. I was held in detox for 10 days. During those days my life was being planned, “Where will she go? Who would take her?” I wonder if they knew [...]
My journey-25 foster homes to success
Shemia, age 21, Georgia
I am a former foster care child and I aged out of the system. I was taken from my mother when I was two years old and lived with my grandmother because my father was in the military. To this day I don’t know my mother. When my father came back I went to live [...]
Breaking the family tradition of addiction
Mikka, age 19, Kentucky
My life was good until my grandmother died when I was 11. She took care of me because my parents were never around. After she died I turned to drugs. I started smoking marijuana at age 11 and I was shooting Oxycontin at 14 and meth followed after that. I come from a family that [...]