August 2020 – Lad Lake

“This is your book, your chapter in life, and you have to speak up for the things you want, and the things you need,” Ashley is a young woman wise beyond her years. She has to be. At four years old, Ashley entered into the foster care system, where she bounced around from family to…

Crystal Owney’s life could be a made-for-TV-movie, full of twists and turns, challenges and triumphs, but when you meet her, you’d never guess it. Crystal was raised by an older sibling until the age of 12. When her sister died of sickle cell anemia she and her brother lived in foster homes. She’d never had…

“You wouldn’t notice anything if you ran into him at a fast food place. You wouldn’t realize he has any kind of disability. But if you started a conversation, you’d realize Jacob can’t look you in the eye,” explains Jacob’s mom. Jacob has Asperger’s, an autism spectrum disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction…

Richard was a 17-year-old Junior in High School with a world of opportunity ahead of him. He was a top athlete on his school’s swim team, in honors classes and seemingly doing well. As the oldest sibling in his family, Richard even helped his single mom take care of his younger brothers and sisters. He…

Deidre is a 29 year-old entrepreneur and mother. In 2014, she decided to follow her passion for baking by starting a pastry business and share her love of sweets. Her business slogan reads “baked from the heart” – something Deidre has needed a lot throughout her life. At age 12, Deidre was abused and molested…

Sex trafficking is not just a problem confined to faraway countries. Here in Milwaukee, girls as young as 13 are coerced into the sex trade. Lucy was one of those girls. As a young teenager, Lucy was abducted and locked in a basement by a man she thought she could trust. He drugged and exploited…

My caseworker keeps telling me, “Your life is in your hands now. It’s up to you to make it better.” Born in Ghana, West Africa in 1987, Rebecca immigrated to the United States in 2000. A difficult home life led to the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW) intervening in 2004, and Rebecca spent the…

“The greatest thing I’ve learned from Lad Lake is that my hard work will one day pay off.” Throughout her life, Teresa has encountered many obstacles. And yet, she’s faced every one of them with maturity, courage, and a determination to succeed. One of her most difficult hurdles was growing up without much support –…

“…I needed to find something in my life that could help me control myself. I found that at Lad Lake.” Emmanuel lived in five different foster homes before even turning six. Now 17, he has been living in a group home for the past three years. When he enrolled in Lad Lake’s ULTRA Day Treatment…

“My year at Synergy was a real transition. It helped me realize I, too, want to help people.” Amalia spent a good deal of her youth struggling with emotional issues. But when she enrolled in Lad Lake’s Synergy Alternative School, Amalia quickly turned her life around, discovering a creative energy the Synergy staff actively encouraged.…