Our Son was at SW for 8.5 months
Some things that worked for our family are
1)The CEO and his family live ON the property. They actually live in a tiny apartment in the basement of the boys dorm. This speaks volumes to me. They hang out lead bible studies & host dinners They are there 24/7 loving the kids
2) The counseling team is a wonderful group of Christian men & women. Our counselor was an amazing woman, whom we have grown to love beyond measure. After our first meeting with her we just knew that she was a perfect fit for our family. & they work as a team
3) The big brothers are one of the best of parts of the program. They are there with the kids 24/7. They live in the midst of crazy, angry, loud, ungrateful teens an exhausting job that never ends. They are truly being Jesus to these kids! Our son learned so many things from the big brothers.I think the best thing he learned was how fun it can be to love Jesus. They formed lasting relationships
4)The teachers & other staff at the school are also a group of wonderful people.They do the hard job of teaching and loving kids that are (many times) difficult to teach and to love. Even though Our son still struggled in school, He absolutely loved his teachers
5) The cooks and property caretakers are involved with & love the kids. Our son got a job in the kitchen where he learned how to work hard and have fun while doing it! The caretaker and his wife also live on the property. They lead bible studies & host dinners in their home. Our son loved working alongside the caretaker
To sum things up SW is a wonderful place, where every staff person is there because they love God & love kids. I can't think of a better environment to place a troubled kid.We believe God brought us to SW so we trusted the WHOLE team with the care of our son. God did amazing things through SW. SW may not be the right place for everyone, but it sure was for us
Is SW perfect? Absolutely not
Would I recommend SW? In a heartbeat
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