Children are resilient. But also vulnerable. By design, they are meant to be cared for, nurtured, protected. Sometimes, however, the plan goes desperately wrong. The adults in their lives lose their way and become incapable of caring for themselves, let alone anyone else. In such crises, children often learn coping mechanisms that increase their chances of survival in the short term but have the potential to damage their spirits over the long haul. Learn More>

Two years ago, Ruby’s life was out of control. An alcoholic, she was hanging out with all the wrong people and realized she had no idea how to raise her four-year-old son, Hunter. In an attempt to give him what she knew he needed – a stable, safe, loving home – she sent him to live with her sister for two years. “I hated being separated from him,” Ruby said, “but I wasn’t strong enough to do right by him.” Learn More>

One of them came from prison. One was in rescue work herself at a mission in Seattle. Two were previously roommates and fellow drug addicts. Learn More>

Secrets. The better they’re kept, the more powerful they become. For nearly half her life, Gigi Garcia kept her secrets so well they almost consumed her. Learn More>

Corissa, 26, came to Anna Ogden Hall two years ago with a meth addiction, but while the meth rapidly accelerated her demise, her addictive behavior really began years earlier with a much less menacing substance – food. Learn More>

A bystander that summer day in 2005 might have dismissed her as crazy. Durena wandered aimlessly, listening to voices in her head, following bizarre instructions, and conversing with herself. She hadn’t eaten or slept in days. Learn More>