Florence Crittenton

Day three of South Carolina was extremely rewarding for me. We went to a adolescent pregnant woman's shelter called Florence Crittenton and organized their house since they are doing renovations. It was crazy to hear that they serve women as young as 10 years old that are pregnant. It makes me so sad to think that people are potentially judging them or isolating them from their former lives just because of their pregnancy. So many adolescents suffer from many different factors whether it be stress, abuse, or neglect. This experience really helped me keep in mind that you don't know anyone's experience and you truly cannot judge. We discussed being more open about preventative and wholesome sex education. It blew me away to hear that over 30% of high school seniors have had 4 or more sexual partners and 16% of high school freshman had had 4 or more because a freshman is very young by my standards. It shows the difference in cultures as well as upbringing and lifestyle choices. I left the discussion feeling so blessed and lucky to have been given the life and parents that I have. Their open mindedness may have saved me from a life like the women we saw today and I am ever grateful I got to touch a minuscule part of their life and see the way some people open their arms to those in need. It was a great experience and I am so excited to continue our trip!! 

From the church basement in Columbia,
Kristen