Having a normal, healthy childhood should be a part of every life. But for some, their childhoods were nightmares.
"I originally was put into foster care when I was eight years old, due to neglect and physical abuse from my birth family," said Bree. We're not using her full name to protect her identity. "I was later reunited with them, but I was then removed from the home again."
She's one of thousands of kids helped by Casa Pacifica. It's a non-profit organization that’s been supporting at risk kids, families, and young adults in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties for three decades.
"They face adversities no one could imagine. A lot of them are victims of neglect, abuse...physical, emotional, financial, sexual," said Kristen Schuyler, Director of Transitional Youth Services for Casa Pacifica.
"They lack homes that provide safety," said Schuyler.
Casa Pacifica has helped Bree at several points in her life. It provided shelter twice when she needed foster care. Then, after she turned 18, Casa Pacifica was there for her again, as she aged out of foster care, and dealt with issues like homelessness and an abusive boyfriend.
"Most of it for me was emotional support," said Bree.
She said the one-on-one and group therapy was incredibly supportive, and getting help with housing and life skills like job services was very helpful.
Casa Pacifica has helped more than 52,000 kids since first opening its doors in 1994. Besides its main Camarillo campus, it has centers in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria to provide services.
Facilities Manager Robert Van Gundy has been with the non-profit since the beginning. He admits it’s hard to believe they’ve helped so many children.
"I can remember our first kid, a young boy named Travis, walking through the gate right over here. All of us were standing in doorways, trying to figure out how we are going to help this young man," said Van Gundy. "And now look at us!"
It’s celebrating its 30th anniversary by expanding its services. It’s added cottages providing transitional housing for at-risk young adults between 18 and 24 who’ve aged out of foster care. Without this program, the alternative for many of them is homelessness.
"They often do not have their next place to go," said Shawna Morris, Casa Pacifica’s Executive Director. "What we've been able to do is in a partnership with the County of Ventura, and some private donors, so we were able to expand our program. We can handle 10 youth now, but we were able to remodel some of our cottages, and expand that to 27."
Bree said while she’s lived through some incredible hardships, she’s on a much better track now, in large part due to help from Casa Pacifica.
"I feel good. I feel like a lot of the things I went through were a learning experience, so I am able to give back in the future," said Bree.
The 21-year-old now has a stable place to stay and two jobs. Bree says she’s hoping to pay it forward and turn her experiences into something positive. She wants to become a social worker and help kids who are facing some of the same types of challenges she faced.
