When Jordan arrived at Child Saving Institute’s emergency youth shelter on the Children’s Square campus, he was just eight years old.
Jordan had been found sleeping in a car. His mother had passed away. His father, battling mental health challenges, was homeless and unable to care for him. There was no plan. No safe place. Just a scared little boy, alone in the world. After a short hospital stay, Jordan was discharged to CSI’s shelter because he had nowhere else to go.
His big eyes were curious and uncertain as he met Tiffany, the first staff member to greet him during intake. Tiffany remembers those first few days very clearly. Jordan lashed out—yelling, hitting, pushing away anyone who tried to help.
But at CSI, every child is met with compassion, patience and the belief that healing begins with safety. Jordan was given a stuffed animal and a nightlight—small comforts that became his lifeline. He carried them everywhere. They were his shield, his anchor.
“He started off saying, ‘I don’t like these people.’ But within a week, he started opening up. He started trusting people. You’d come in every day, and he just wanted hugs,” Tiffany explained. “Seeing that shift in him? He knew he was safe here.”
CSI’s emergency youth shelter is designed to meet the immediate needs of children in crisis—providing food, clothing, therapy and most importantly, a sense of belonging. For Jordan, it was the first time in a long time that he felt like a kid again.
Jordan transitioned into also receiving partial services from the Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children (PMIC) program at Children’s Square, where he continued receiving therapeutic support. There, he began to thrive. He went on outings, shared his encyclopedic knowledge of cars and opened up about his feelings. “He’s incredibly smart,” one staff member said. “There are days he just wants to be cuddled and feel loved.”
Jordan’s progress wasn’t perfect. Near discharge, he struggled again—acting out, pushing boundaries. But even in those moments, his growth was undeniable. He earned 75 points on his punch card for meeting goals—the highest of any child in the program’s history.
“For me, that just shows how successful he can be when he does feel safe, when he does feel like he’s cared for,” Tiffany says. “We have this kid who has this extreme trauma, and all it takes for him to thrive is to feel loved and safe and cared for.”
Jordan’s story is not just about trauma. It’s about transformation. It’s about what’s possible when a child is met with love instead of judgment, and stability instead of chaos.
Without the support of donors, Jordan wouldn’t have had this chance.
Your generosity made it possible for him to find safety, build trust and begin to heal. When a child’s basic needs for safety and care are met, everything else falls into place. As we look ahead, we ask you to continue standing with us—because every child deserves to feel safe, loved and supported. Every child deserves a chance to be a kid again.
