Almost everyone can picture a troubled adolescent. Perhaps the child is a family member, a neighbor, the child of a friend…

Take Jake. He is fifteen, and lives in Fort Collins with his Mom and Dad. He is an average student, not very involved with school or sports. Over the summer, Jake gets caught by the police with marijuana and receives a summons to Court.

Jake's parents are angry and scared. They believe that Jake is a good kid but their techniques for reprimanding Jake haven't worked.

Jake and his family meet with the District Attorney's office about options. Jake can go to District Court with the possibility of having a juvenile record or he can go into a diversion program at The Center, a Larimer County non-profit organization.

At The Center, Jake takes weekly classes, performs supervised community service and submits to regular drug testing. Jake and his family are in partnership with skillful staff members who provide a positive but firm environment. The program has a high success rate (94%).

It costs nearly $200 for every child at The Center. Though each family pays $100, a gap remains. This is where you come in.

Few adolescents will come right out and ask you to "believe in them" but their actions often cry out with this plea. Your contribution of $100 to the Believe in Me program at The Center answers the call.