Eighteen year-old Jimmy is a quiet, intense young man who speaks only when he has something to say. He is seen as a leader in his community house and at school and is often looked up to by younger kids just arriving at Children's Home of Stockton. From the outside people might think that CHS is just another care facility but in fact it is not. On the inside, it is an innovative residential treatment program where children, as part of the close-knit CHS family, can grow and learn, and for perhaps the first time in their lives, feel a sense of belonging. At 118 years old, CHS is a quiet but noteworthy social service organization dedicated to helping troubled youth of California's San Joaquin Valley. Opening in the 1880s, its original mission was to provide the basic necessities to neglected, destitute and abandoned children. Today, Children's Home of Stockton is a modern residential facility, which provides specialized psychiatric treatment and Special Education services for severely emotionally disturbed children and their families. While the mission to help troubled kids has remained the same over the years, these days, CHS faces new challenges with the ever increasing numbers of sexual, physical or emotional abuse victims, more and more causes of attention deficit disorder and dysfunctional family settings. As we get to know Jimmy in this episode of the The Visionaries, we see how an ex-gang member from the streets of San Francisco was given a second chance at life when he came to CHS. This is an emotional story of the transformation and success of one young man who beat the odds by learning not only to survive but also thrive with the help of Children's Home of Stockton.
