We celebrated graduation for our second Caring Connections class at New Visions Youth Development Center on April 28th. It was a great day for the girls and the remarkable rescues from Agape Animal Rescue and Bonaparte’s Retreat.

There were many magical moments, and we were especially moved by the mutually joyful greeting between R.S.— a young woman whose sometimes aggressive voice made her an uncertain choice for the program— and JR the “big black dog” whom she initially greeted with an apprehensive look and the words “I don’t like that dog” and “I want to work with another dog.” R.S. turned out to be a gifted dog handler, and her “letter of recommendation” for JR speaks volumes about the trans-formative power of Caring Connections.

Caring Connections will be expanding to Monroe Harding this summer where we’ll be working with the young men in their Cooperative Living Program. Contact Us if you’re interested in becoming a Caring Connections volunteer.