Celtics transform Boston common room in group home
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Updated: 7:31 PM EDT May 13, 2021
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Updated: 7:31 PM EDT May 13, 2021
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TAKE A LOOK. REPORTER: THIS HOUSE IN SOUTH BOSTON IS HOME TO 12 KIDS. >> ALL THE KIDS COME HERE WITH A HISTORY OF ABUSE, NEGLECT. REPORTER: QUIET WITH SCHOOL BACK IN-PERSON, JENNIFER MEDEIROS OFFERS A TOUR OF HARRINGTON HOUSE, RUN BY THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS. >> WHEN THEY COME HOME, THEY’LL HAVE SNACK. REPORTER: KIDS AGES 8 TO 13 RECEIVE TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE HERE. >> LITTLE GIRL. YEAH. TYPICAL LENGTH OF STAY IS ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT MONTHS TO -- WE HAVE A FEW KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE TWO OR THREE YEARS. THE GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY AN ADOPTIVE HOME OR PERMANENT HOME. REPORTER: A YEAR OF REMOTE LEARNING WAS NOT EASY FOR ANYONE . THAT WAS CERTAINLY TRUE HERE BUT THIS ROOM HELPED. A GIFT FROM THE CELTICS AND THE ARBELLA INSURANCE FOUNDATION. >> WITH THE PANDEMIC GOING ON AND THE LACK OF MOTIVATION THEY ALREADY FEEL, I THINK IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR US TO HAVE THIS PLATFORM TO TRY TO REACH OUT, TO TRY TO BE THERE, TO TRY TO TELL THEM TO KEEP GOING. I THINK IF THEY KNOW THEY’RE NOT ALONE, IT WILL HELP THEM TO GET THROUGH IT. REPORTER: STAR FORWARD SEMI OJELEYE WAS ONE OF SEVERAL PLAYERS TO ZOOM WITH THE KIDS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AS PART OF THE TEAM’S RELAUNCHED STAY IN SCHOOL PROGRAM. >> TO HELP THESE YOUNG PEOPLE STAY ENGAGED NOT FROM AN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE STANDPOINT, THAT’S NOT WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. IT WAS AROUND GOAL SETTING, IT WAS AROUND RESILIENCY. REPORTER: ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM CAME THE TRANSFORMATION OF THIS SPACE. >> THEY DID A REPAINT OF THE WHOLE ROOM. REPORTER: A FLEXIBLE REMOTE LEARNING CENTER THAT WILL BE NEEDED WELL BEYOND COVID. >> OUR KIDS OFTEN WILL HAVE A CRISIS OF SOME KIND. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE 1 OR 2 OR 3 KIDS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO SCHOOL THAT DAY BUT STILL NEED TO STAY ENGAGED. REPORTER: THE ROOM, BUT EVEN MORE-SO THE TIME GIVEN BY THE PLAYERS HAS MEANT SO MUCH. >> OUR KIDS, IS THEY’RE MORE THAN WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. WE HAVE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE STEPPED UP. IT MAKES THEM FEEL LIKE MAYBE I’M NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT KID WHO DESERVES TO BE HURT ALL THE TIME. AND THEY FEEL SPECIAL. REPORTER: SHARING THE MESSAGE HE SHARED WITH THE KIDS. >> LIFE IS GOING TO GET IT’S GOING TO GET DIFFICULT AT SOME POINT. THOSE TIMES ARE GONNA COME, EVERYONE HAS GONE THROUGH THAT, BUT WHEN THAT TIME ARISES, YOU CAN GET THROUGH IT. REPORTER: MAY IS NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH. AT THEIR MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 12, THERE’S A WAITLIST FOR KIDS TO GET INTO HARRINGTON