There are so many teens in Michigan that do not have a place to call home. They have lived in the foster system their entire life and now as a teenager, they are simply waiting to age out of the system.
The House of Providence is a home in the center of Detroit that is dedicated to helping teen girls living in the system. They provide girls with a home, guidance, and most importantly a family.
"The girls that live here are all wards of the state," said Jason Dunn, founder of The House of Providence. "They are all teenagers or older teenagers, that are just languishing within the foster care system, without the prospect of adoption and for many without hope."
Jason and his wife Maggie, started The House of Providence in 2013; their dream is to give every teen living in the foster care system a home.
For many of the girls living at The House of Providence it's the first time they have a home.
"We expose them to as much as we can, as much positive," said founder Maggie Dunn. "Everything from fine dining, to weekend getaways, taking them to Cedar Point. There are so many ways that we have come up with creatively to expose them to the world that is available to them."
"It encourages me to do good," said 16 year-old Alanna. "So other people can see me and say that is the type of person I want to be." Alanna has been living at The House of Providence for seven months.
Currently there are eight girls living at The House of Providence, but they have room for 15.
"You can see the life change, said Jason Dunn. "You can see the joy, you can see the happiness, you can see the hope in the eyes of the young ladies that are here."
Not only does The House of Providence provide a home for each girl, they also work with the girls showing them how to reach their full potential.
"We work a lot on deinstitutionalizing out of a very clinical harsh setting into a familial here," said Maggie Dunn. "And then we work on reintegrating them into the community."
The House of Providence is a home of hope. It's a priceless gift to these girls- it's the gift of a family.
"I have visions of helping so many more , a boys home, and hopefully a home for teen moms who are stuck in the foster care system," said Maggie Dunn.
If you would like to become a Force 4 Good, click here, to learn how you can help by volunteering or donating to The House of Providence.