Deidre

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…

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Lucy

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…

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Emmanuel

“…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…

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Darcell

“I wanted to teach these kids that you don’t have to let your mistakes weigh you down …” At first, Darcell was reluctant about spending time in Lad Lake’s Residential Treatment program. But when he found out he was one of the oldest residents on campus, he realized the importance of turning his life around…

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Nicole

One winter, Milwaukee police found a teenage girl shivering on the streets and suffering from hypothermia. They brought her back safely, took her into custody, and transferred her to Lad Lake’s St. Rose campus. Her name was Nicole. She was 17. Her mother battled with mental illness, while her father struggled to make the rent.…

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