Story Bank
At Gateway Children’s Services, every day brings moments of courage, growth, and hope. Our Story Bank is a place to celebrate the good news.Here you'll find real stories that reflect the resilience of the children and families we serve and the life changing impact made possible through the care, support, and generosity of our community. Through these stories, we invite you to see the difference your involvement makes and to share in the journey toward brighter futures.
Last week, a young man who once came to our residential program due to truancy and contempt of court stopped by to visit and share his success. Today, he’s a high school graduate and enrolled in college - and we couldn’t be prouder!
Moments like this remind us WHY we do this work. So many of the children who leave our residential programs call back, stop by, or reach out just to check in and let us know how they’re doing.
Gateway isn’t just a program to them - it’s a safe place, a source of stability, and truly a lifeline for change. This is what building brighter futures looks like
Three children in foster care have taken a huge step forward - they’re moving into pre-adoptive placements after waiting more than two years.
Because of your support, children are finding stability, hope, and a path toward a forever home. Message us if you want to learn more about you can help children have a brighter future.
When bonding visits first began for a young girl in our community whose mother is incarcerated, she was quiet and hesitant, often unsure of what to say. Just a few months into bi-weekly visits, that has changed dramatically.
Last week, she was animated and full of stories, eagerly telling her mom about everything happening in her life. As the visit neared its end, she was still talking, so we offered her a few extra minutes. Her face lit up as she exclaimed, “Oh yes - we get extra time!” and she happily kept right on sharing.
Our new fitness program is off to a strong start!
With encouragement and support from staff, youth in our program are building healthy habits, confidence, and resilience. One determined young man recently ran 11 miles in just 7 days. It's an incredible accomplishment and a reminder that progress happens one step at a time.
At Gateway Children’s Services, we believe physical wellness is an important part of healing and growth. We’re proud of the hard work our youth are putting in every day!
Moments like these remind us why this work matters. Two children who entered foster care due to chronic absenteeism have worked hard to get back on track academically and they were successfully reunified with their mom!
With the right support, stability, and encouragement, families can heal and move forward together. If you want to help a child become successful, message us today about becoming a full-time foster parent, a respite parent, or a mentor.
Testimonials
Program Participants
“Gateway is more than a program - it’s a family for the kids who come here. It’s the best place I’ve ever been, and they truly saved me.” - Past Residential Client
“In Seven Challenges group, we had a really difficult conversation. For the first time, I felt supported enough to open up and share. That moment helped me realize I wasn’t alone.” - Past Client
“When I first arrived in the residential program, I didn’t feel understood or supported. But day by day, staff showed up for me, spent time with me, and even took me fishing. Having someone who consistently believed in me helped me feel supported and understood, and it changed how I see my life and my future.” - Past Client
“If I hadn’t come to Gateway, I believe I'd be in jail or not alive. I wouldn’t have graduated high school, and I had no interest in getting sober. Meeting my Gateway family changed everything and gave me a future I never thought was possible.” - Past Client
“I’m most proud of getting sober and graduating high school, but honestly, I’m proud of every accomplishment I made while I was at Gateway.” - Past Client
"I'm the first person in my family to graduate high school, and I couldn't have done it without them."
"This program gave me my life back." - Past Client
"I'm the first person in my family to graduate high school, and I couldn't have done it without them." - Past Client
"They taught me skills I'll use for the rest of my life, not just for right now." - Past Client
"This place saved my family. We were falling apart, and they helped us put the pieces back together." - Past Client
"I learned how to be a good parent here. That's something I never thought I'd say." - Past Client
"I have a job now, a good one. I'm even thinking about going to college." - Past client
What Our Staff & Community Members Are Saying
"Gateway has built a great organization with qualified, experienced staff that are passionate about their roles. The staff is not just here for a paycheck, they are here because they truly care about the children. Finding a group of people that have the same passion is rare." - Community Partner
"We see kids come into our residential program broken, and they leave with a sense of hope." - GCS Staff
"These kids have so much potential, and we're just giving them the tools to unlock it." - GCS Staff
"The transformation we see in some of these kids is nothing short of miraculous." - GCS Staff
"We focus on their strengths, not just their weaknesses." - GCS Staff
"We create a safe space where they can learn to trust again." - GCS Staff
Community Response Program Participants
“Through Gateway’s support, a client who was once withdrawn and unmotivated has built trust, re-engaged in parenting classes, and is now making steady progress. She connected with resources for food and housing, received assistance completing a public housing application, and is earning positive feedback from her DCBS social worker. It has been incredibly rewarding to see her growth and renewed motivation.” - Social Worker
“This program has strengthened our family bond while I've been incarcerated. It gave me the opportunity to be honest with my children about my mistakes and to guide them toward making better choices." - Incarcerated Parent
“Participating in the the bonding program while incarcerated has helped us grow closer as a family. Bonds that were once broken have begun to heal and be restored.” - Incarcerated Parent
“Since being involved in this process, my youngest has started therapy and we’ve seen real improvement. He is showing more respect at home and is trying again in school.” - Parent
“I’ve just been happier through all of this. My daughter is still young, so being part of her life as she grows and making sure she sees me so she doesn’t forget who I am means everything.” - Incarcerated Parent
“Participants in the program have shown a noticeable increase in positive attitude. The opportunity to connect with their children, whether through visits or recording a book, has been powerful. Many are expressing emotions they weren’t able to before, and their children are seeing a different, more caring side of their parent.” - Jail Staff
Literacy Program (Sponsored by the Steele-Reese Foundation)
I've seen my children's confidence grow immensely in the time since we began! Not only can they read significantly more words, they are willing to try words they haven't seen before and are often correct. Even my youngest at 4 has grown in confidence! I hear her breaking down words she hears into sound blocks and trying to figure out how to spell them! - Parent of Literacy Client
“Summer tutoring through Gateway’s Literacy Program helped my child gain the reading skills and confidence she needed to successfully transition into public school. What once felt overwhelming became something she looked forward to, and she entered the new school year prepared, motivated, and eager to learn.” - Parent of Literacy Client
“Participation in Gateway’s Literacy Program has strengthened my son's reading and pronunciation skills. He is now able to sound out words, understand text more quickly, and read with greater confidence.” - Parent of Literacy Client
"My 7 year old says, "Thank you for sending the tutor to us! I love reading stories, playing games, and learning how to read with her. She has helped me a lot!"" - Parent and Literacy Client
