Time passes a little differently here.

What is it like to be a resident here?  The volunteers try to imagine what a Bahay Pag-asa resident experiences over a period of 2 or 3 years here.  The best way to understand is to live here, seven days a week, for a few weeks (as we do) or even longer as some other volunteers have done.  You start to realize that one day passes into the next without much notice.  Sunsets follow sunrises, staff and volunteers come and go, but a resident can feel frozen in time.  It's peaceful and it's safe but it can also be numbing and frustrating, especially for residents who cannot see the progress they are making.  Fortunately, more and more residents are getting there elementary and high school diplomas through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and some are even beginning college courses or job-related certifications.  For these residents, progress is tangible and their stay here at Bahay Pag-asa can easily be seen as a pathway to future success.  But for some, their advances come slowly and only after setbacks and difficulties - and these are the boys who need the most attention and encouragement from staff and volunteers.  Today, a former resident, now in his twenties, is coming to visit and we're going to talk about how his life is going.  And if it's not going well, if opportunities still seem elusive, then we are going to sit down and look at new possibilities.  Unlike other such centers for children in conflict with the law, the Lasallian Bahay Pag-asa Youth Centers are committed to working with the boys, even long after they have become young men.  Our concern for our students extends into their adult years and compels us to continue to help them find their way in a world that does not always reward hard work and good intentions.  We truly desire and are willing to work to ensure that, at the end of each day, we have seen some progress for each of our residents, both current and former.