Jacob, 17, lives with his mom and three sisters. His mom Emily recently obtained a protection order against her husband after a decade of violence with the help of the Domestic Violence Program. Jacob and his sisters are now safe and in a new home, but the changes to their lives were profound. Jacob always loved nature, and was referred to the Dandelion Project through a judge who truly cared about his family. Now, he spends two afternoons a week with his hands in the dirt, giving him calm and providing him a safe place of his own after the tumult.
*Name and story has been modified to protect the identity of the child