When six year old Charlie was first brought to the ABC Room - he'd spent his entire life as his Dad's favorite punching bag. His head was bent - his shoulders slumped - his arms crossed protectively across his chest - just waiting for the next smack. Charlie's jeans were two sizes too big - his shoes two sizes too small. Caught between an older and younger sibling, he never had clothes or shoes that were just his. Charlie's caseworker brought him to the ABC Room, along with both his brothers. And, while Charlie's brothers oohed and awed over all the wonders, new clothes, shoes, toys, Charlie walked slowly in silence. "Go ahead Charlie," his Caseworker encouraged, " you can choose whatever you want. It's OK." At long last Charlie stood before a shelf filled with personal hygiene items. He looked up - "I've always wanted to try one of these", he said, pointing to a toothbrush. At six, Charlie had never brushed his teeth. His Caseworker gave him four toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and floss too! Of all the things that he could have had - Charlie chose a thing so simple - a thing we all take for granted every single day.

And by the way - Charlie and his brothers were also given new clothes, shoes and undergarments, a blanket, pillow, travel bag and a new toy each!

The very first child to benefit from the Van Zandt County Rainbow Room was "Annie". "Annie" was 14 months old and living in deplorable conditions. When caseworkers and Sheriff's deputies arrived at her home at 2:00 a.m., they found this underweight little angel wrapped in a urine soaked pillow case, lying in a filthy playpen surrounded by half filled bottles of clotted milk. Her hair was matted, she was horribly dirty and she smelled bad. Because the Rainbow Room had just opened, "Annie's" caseworker was able to take her straight there. She filled a diaper bag with baby wash and baby lotion, Desitin for her diaper rash, and a tiny little dress and pajamas. She grabbed diapers and wipes and baby powder. "Annie" was given a bath in the sink in the Justice Center which is located in front of the Rainbow Room. For the first time in what may have been weeks, Annie was clean, fed and properly dressed. She was now ready for the start of a new life in a safe foster home that could meet her needs. Her caseworker told us how happy she was that the Rainbow Room existed. In the past, she would have had to provide for these needs from her own pocket, or the child would have simply gone without.

As a little girl, Samantha, like other little girls, liked to play dress up. She was always Cinderella. She would wear her mother's "fancy dresses," as she called them, and spin around and around in circles. Her mother would fix her hair and paint her nails and tell Samantha that she was the most beautiful princess in all the land. When Samantha was only nine, her fairy tale came to an end when Samantha's beloved parents were killed in a tragic accident. Having no other close family, Samantha was placed in state care.