The four young men led Todd Guckenberger, Executive Director of Back2Back, around their home. For three of them, it was the first time they were giving a tour of what felt like their own space. The four Hope Program students were animated as they showed Todd around, opening the doors to their rooms, and leading… Read more
I was a foster parent for ten years and this is the list I wish someone would have passed along to the people in my life… A listening ear: They are going to have stories you might not relate to, listen anyway. They might be making choices you wouldn’t make in their shoes, listen anyway. They might… Read more
The sun was shining brightly as families gathered in small groups for different workshops. The newly installed soccer field held a physical education class where families moved their bodies together; in the kitchen, flour particles clung to countertops and hands as a family baked; outside, Adam Gellenbeck, Back2Back staff, led a woodworking workshop for a… Read more
The Back2Back Transitions Program is designed to provide life skills training and support for teens transitioning from one level of education to another, or from college to independent living. It is a key part of the holistic care provided to each child served as they pursue dependence on Jesus, interdependence in their communities, and independent… Read more
A common practice Back2Back supports is making positive deposits into a child’s belief system. Children and teens from hard places often have belief systems that reflect abuse, neglect, and harsh words from their history. In providing holistic care, dedicated caregivers see the hurt a child or teen has experienced and work to help repair the… Read more
A partnering children’s home in Nigeria is unique in many ways. The home is small, the environment warm, the caregivers loving, encouraging, and diligent in providing family-style care to the teens and children in their home. They know they are safe, loved, and that their interests will be nurtured. Oni* has a passion for learning…. Read more
Hanna Firstenberger, Back2Back staff, held a bucket of water in one hand and a tangerine in the other. She smiled at the faces gathered around her on the floor as she dropped the tangerine into the water. They watched together as it floated to the surface. “Why did it float?” she asked her class, and… Read more
The island in the middle of the kitchen and the round, white tables just outside it are becoming sacred ground. What was once simply a church in Price Hill has become a gathering space for children after school to play games, eat food prepared specifically for them, and to connect with both their peers and… Read more
The normally bright room has the curtains drawn, an overhead projector is running. Each teen sits in front of their own laptop, as they navigate learning a new computer program called Microsoft Word. In late January, Lucson Jeannot, Back2Back staff, kicked off a computer programming class for the Hope Education Program students. He saw early… Read more
The children stood in a line behind Rick and Lisa Bursey as they waited to cross the road. Their eyes were wide, taking in the busy street, the different colors of cars, and the random stray dogs that sauntered past them. “Look!” “Check this out!” “Oh, wow!” bursted from their mouths as they waited, as… Read more