Last Sunday night, nearly people gathered at the BoysGrow farm for the annual Date Night — a beautiful evening of community, conversation, and mission-driven connection.
Big thanks to everyone who came out to support us — your presence matters.
One of the most powerful moments of the night came from one of our own. James, a second-year youth in the BoysGrow program, stood up and delivered a speech that left the crowd inspired and grounded in why we do this work.
As part of our public speaking team, James has been developing the confidence and skills to share his story — and on Sunday, he nailed it. In front of family, friends, donors, and guests, he spoke from the heart about what BoysGrow means to him. His message? We come from different backgrounds, but BoysGrow brings us together.
We’re proud of you, James. Keep leading with courage.
Huge thanks to:
- Triune for the delicious 3-course meal.
- Phon Wills Photo for beautifully capturing the evening.
- Fike for sponsoring this event and helping make it all possible.
Scroll down to read James’ full speech. You’ll see why we’re so proud.
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Hello everyone, and welcome to Date Night on the Farm. Thank you all for coming. I want to tell you my story to show you that people from all backgrounds can come together, like here at Boys Grow.
By a raise of hands, how many of you have had an encounter with the police? [pretend to judge them] You criminals. One of my earliest memories is from when I was 5 years old. The police regularly came to my house for wellness checks, but in early 2016 this wellness check didn’t seem the same. I looked outside to see my mom’s tears running down her face as an officer was talking to her, so I went out to see what was going on. Seeing all of those police cars outside was a shocking surprise. With my trash bag full of clothes, and as an officer was escorting me to the police car I heard my mom say, “I love you,” but barely, under her tears.
Ok ok, I should probably introduce myself before I go on.
My name is James; this is my second year at Boys Grow. I work on the farm team, mainly with the animals. After they took my brother Chris and I away we were sent to an emergency foster home where we stayed for a month. I was not treated well there, but luckily, my brother had a different experience. After that month I was happy to get out of there. We were then sent to a place called the Noyse home, a group home for kids, some in foster care just like us. I felt like I shouldn’t be there and I wanted to go home. We were there for a little over a month, but it felt like forever. Luckily, that is a short amount of time compared to many others in the system.
After the Noyse home, my brother and I were sent to a new foster home. It was much different compared to my old house, they cooked dinner. It was a lot better compared to McDonalds every day. My Brother and I were supposed to be there for a few weeks, but [looks at watch] that was 9 years ago. My parents are here tonight and thanks to the stability they provide, I feel safe, and like we are a true family.
My brother is here tonight too! He graduated from Boys Grow in 2022. Seeing his experience, I knew I wanted to be a part of it too.
Since working here at Boys Grow, I feel more courageous, and my social skills have grown. Boys Grow has shown me how hard work and dedication can pay off. I am looking forward to using the skills I’ve learned here as I go into high school this fall, and even in my future career.
Every kid in Boys Grow comes with their own back story, and Boys Grow brings us all together to teach us so much about growing up and gives us the life skills needed to confidently enter the next stage of our lives.
Thank you for listening to my story. Thank you.