William’s life had always been a little chaotic. His mom was unable to care for him, and his dad and grandmother who’d raised him passed away. William had lost everyone that he was close to, everyone who was capable of caring for him. He was walking a tough road.
But that all changed a little over a year ago.
After his grandmother passed away, William’s great uncle and aunt, Al and Joanna Adams, were searching for ways to help William settle in a new home. Already in their mid-seventies, the Adams wanted to make sure that William would be taken care when they weren’t around to support him. They dreamed of a place where he could heal from his trauma and be equipped to walk forward into a bright future.
That’s when Al reached out to WinShape Homes, and they made the choice to place William in one of our Group Care homes with House Parents Chris and Alicia Love. The Adams worked with our team to make sure William would be well cared for and have a welcome seat at the family table.
But Al and Joanna weren’t the only ones who had a choice to make.
William had been through so much loss, pain and transition in his short life. And these traumatic experiences hadn’t come without a cost, making it harder for William to open up and trust those around him, making it hard for him to form secure attachments and feel safe. Would he be willing to step into the unknown with WinShape Homes even though it might be scary?
In March of 2020, William took that brave step into the unknown, hoping that the future would be better than the past. He moved into Loves’ home just two days before the COVID-19 shutdown restrictions began.
Since everyone was quarantined at home together, William instantly had lots of quality family time to get to know his new brothers, sisters and house parents. He also had time to explore his passions—taking piano lessons and participating in frequent chess matches with house parent, Chris.
Chris describes these chess sessions as about more than mere pieces on a gameboard. In fact, he uses these matches together as quality time with William—to build their relationship, to hold meaningful conversations about life and to show him consistent care.
In just a little over a year with the Love family, William’s courage has been rewarded and he has begun to flourish. He is now working to become “the best piano player in the world” and learning how to connect deeply with others, including a weekly check-in call with Great Uncle Al.
The day William walked into his new home he had no idea what was in store for him.
But now he’s able to count his blessings: a basketball court, brothers and sisters to play with, and a family that he knows will be there tomorrow.
With a bit of a twinkle in his eye, William also mentions that he now has “so many opportunities that he doesn’t even know about yet.” But he happily admits that God knows about each and every one of them.
Together we can change a child’s life for the better—a child just like William.
Do you know a child who needs a home? Let’s talk.