I Know I Matter

By the time Alana Farnsworth was 12, her behavior issues were so severe that she spent time in the hospital and eventually ended up in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. Finally, she found a place to land at The Village’s Alison Gill Lodge, where she began her journey of hope and healing.

By the time Alana Farnsworth was 12, her behavior issues were so severe that she spent time in the hospital and eventually ended up in the custody of the Department of Children and Families, where she moved around between foster homes and group homes, and back to the hospital.

Finally, she found a place to land at The Village’s Alison Gill Lodge, a therapeutic group home for girls. With support from Dr. Jennifer Lusa, senior director of intensive adolescent services and the rest of the Alison Gill Lodge staff, Alana began her journey of hope and healing.

In December of 2017, Alana relayed her story with poise and confidence to an audience of 500 at The Village’s Girl Within Luncheon. She spoke of her current successes and future dreams. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Saint Joseph, Alana plans to attend law school and fight for socially just policies and laws at the federal level.

“So here I am now,” Alana said, “Feeling so empowered standing up in front of a crowd of 500 people sharing my story. Now, I am a grown woman, an educated one, and I am so much more than my past.”

Watch Alana’s story:

More from Stories of Impact

Meet Speaker Matt Ritter and Rep. Tammy Exum

The Village is proud to work with policymakers to reform and strengthen Connecticut’s mental health system. Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives Matt Ritter and Deputy Majority Leader and State Representative Tammy Exum were named as Village Champions for Children for leading the passage of landmark legislation addressing our state’s mental health crisis in the 2022 legislative session.

Read More
Sulma, Kimberly and Julio

Meet Sulma, Kimberly and Julio.

Sulma, Kimberly and Julio left Honduras for a better life in the United States. During their travels, they became victims of human trafficking. Sulma and her children came to The Village for help coping with what they experienced. Through therapy, Kimberly and Julio are working through their trauma. Julio is calmer and his nightmares have stopped. Kimberly is acclimating well to her new school and has learned how to become an advocate for herself.

Read More