"My first contact with Hillcrest was late in 1965. After several unsuccessful attempts at carrying my own baby to term, we decided to look into adoptions. In September of 1966 we brought home a baby boy. We had an hour’s drive home and I never took my eyes off of him. In April of 1970 we were blessed with a baby girl. I know that I loved my children before I even saw them- they were mine and that is all that mattered. Now my daughter is a mother herself and there is none better. She told me when she was pregnant with her first child that she hoped she could be as good a mother as I had been. I didn’t give birth to my kids, but I know God meant them for me. I will always be grateful to Hillcrest for being there when I needed them and for making my life complete with two beautiful children , and now grandchildren.”

Vi, Maquoketa

“I am 17 and the youngest of four brothers and seven sisters. I no longer know where my family is except for my mother - she is dead. I can almost be counted as homeless except for Hillcrest. I would continually beat up people with my friends. I hacked into my school’s computer server system and did drugs. I was a total low-life loser who just wanted to fit in. I have been in Residential Treatment at Hillcrest just eight months and already I’ve changed my thinking totally. Staff members encourage me to make my own positive decisions but they don’t punish me when I do wrong. Instead, they try to help me any way they can to see a better way and they care about me. I grew up in the church, but didn’t accept Christ until after I came to Hillcrest. I became a Christian on St. Valentines Day. It wouldn’t have happened without Hillcrest. From then on, my attitude towards life is a new one. I have been off drugs for one year, have been calm and I haven’t beaten anyone up.”

David, Cedar Rapids

“I have been a client in your Hillcrest Family Services Clinic for twenty years. I started going to Hillcrest when I was faced with an unplanned pregnancy in my teens. I found the staff to be very caring and professional. Although I thought that the clinic was only for low income women, I found out that they welcomed me back after I got married and became financially secure. I also found that my health insurance would pay for the clinic services. I think that the best part of the clinic is that the all-woman staff is very sensitive to my needs. I also found that when I was having problems at home with my teenage daughter that the counseling staff of Hillcrest was available to provide guidance and support. My daughter is now married with a child and attends the clinic, too. It’s a shame that more women don’t know about the caring services offered by the Hillcrest Clinic and realize that they are available to everyone.”

Becky, Dubuque

“My daughter, Sara, is seven. She and her Big Sister, Carol, got along right from the beginning. They cook and sew together. The match gives Sara the chance to learn that life can be different - that you can count on others. Her Big Sister is there for her on a regular basis. Sara is learning that someone is there to listen and follow through with what they say they will do. She is learning that she is important; special enough for her Big Sister to care. I really recommend the Big Brothers Big Sisters program!”

Marcia, Dubuque

“My name is Debbie and I am 15 years old. My family is very split up and doesn’t talk about things. I’ve lived with my mom and I’ve never met my dad. I got addicted to drugs at 13 and would run away a lot. I was either on the run, on the street, or in emergency shelters because I wanted to live life my way. If I wasn’t put at Hillcrest Residential Treatment I would have died by now, could have been homeless, or would have had a baby at a young age. I think God is helping me to accept the things I cannot change and by being there to hear my prayers and answering them. I am aware of God’ s love because I am still alive and sober today, I have support systems and people working with me, and I have been working with my family.”

Debbie, Iowa City

Dear Hillcrest,

I am writing to commend the Hillcrest Education Program staff and the entire Hillcrest organization.

My stepson was a student at your school for three years. During his time at Hillcrest he made progress that astonished my husband and me.

When he began, he was very unruly and thought that he should tell everyone else what was to be done and that they should conform to his rules — no matter what. When he first started school at Hillcrest, he would have outbursts and become very physically abusive toward your staff. They assured me, though, that this would be a temporary thing and that he “had a lot on his plate” due to all of the recent major changes in his life.

As they had said, this turned out to be short lived, but it did seem at times that it was taking forever. The school operates on behavior levels, and for as long as he had been there, my son had been on level one. Then one day he came home. I asked him how his day was . . . and he moped and grumbled as usual. Then, a HUGE smile came across his face as he showed me that he had made it to level two!

That was the beginning of the end of the Hillcrest School for him, and he went on to reach level three. Yes, there were some setbacks . . . nothing that important to any child comes easy. We worked through his achievements as well as his set-backs, and with the support of the Hillcrest staff he became what we then called “a different person.” We started seeing remarkable improvement in his behavior at school as well as at home.

It then seemed like the “short lived” period was finally over. We met with your Principal and the other teachers, and they all thought he was ready for the challenges faced by other students in a community school.

He started attending Central School in Dubuque, absolutely thrived there, and in no time he was enrolled full time.

He then went on to be accepted into the P.A.V.E. program, which allowed him to enter Northeast Iowa Community College. He was earning credits for college as well as the remainder of his high school credits, all at the same time!

We are sure he is on the road to great things. We also realize that without the help and compassion of your school staff, he wouldn’t have made it this far. I truly believe that without the intervention of your school staff my son would now be in serious trouble. Sincerely,

Candace, Dubuque

Note: Candace’s stepson is now completely self-sufficient — successfully living and working in the community.

“ My name is James and I have lived in a lot of places. I am 16 and my mother is dead and most of my family has disowned me except for my grandmother. I came to Hillcrest because I was fighting, using and selling drugs, being super disrespectful to others and pretty much out of control. I was on a path to jail or the cemetery. Through Hillcrest, I’ve learned to be more accepting and to deal with problems without hurting or taking my feelings out on others. I have changed my outlook on how to handle things. God is working in my life through the Hillcrest Ambassadors and the Hillcrest Chaplains.”

James, age 16

“My name is Scott and I am 11 years old. Having a Big Brother makes a really big difference in my life. John is another person in my life that helps me. It makes me feel good when he says 'you did a good job or 'I like what you do'. Sometimes I think 'Wow, how my life changed since I met that extra person'. My grades are improving in school and I am making good friendships. My match with John is like a dream come true. He's basically a father to me.” (Big Brothers Big Sisters program.)

Scott, Dubuque

“I have a brother, two sisters, two half-sisters and one stepsister. My parents are divorced. My dad has married his third wife who I really dislike. I began to get in trouble when I was 9 when my parents divorced and I started to steal alcohol and cigarettes. By 14, I was swept away by alcohol, had three convictions for driving without a license, was truant from school and physically abusive to my mom and siblings. Hillcrest Residential Treatment provides support from people who care about me. I go to AA and have other treatments for my alcoholism. I have learned about anger management and that it is wrong to hurt others.”

Thomas, Tama County

The following two notes were received from a mother and her son. Nathan is a ten-year old from Jackson County who attends our school in Dubuque. He is highly oppositional and suffers from chronic depression so sever that he has been evaluated three times by the psychiatric unit at the University of Iowa Hospital. Before he began participating in our Education Program, he seldom attended school at all or would spend all of his class time in a deep, depression-induced sleep. While here he has attended school every day, and the length of his on-task behavior in relation to the sleeping episodes has steadily increased. He is doing very well in school.

Mrs. Davis & all at Hillcrest:

Thank you so much for helping Nathan to grow in many variety of ways.

You at Hillcrest are truly advocates of the children in your school. Your time, knowledge, love and patience as well as trust are very deeply and sincerely appreciated. Many, many thanks to each and every one of you. I hope you have a wonderful vacation and hope to see you next school year.

Thank you. Marsha, Dubuque

Thank you for building our classroom that we are in now. It helps us come to school during the day and still be able to go home to our families at night. If we didn’t have this school we wouldn’t be able to live with our families. This way we can still do things with them when we get home.”

Thanks, Nathan, Dubuque

About Us | How to Contact Us | Mission-Vision-Values | History
Hillcrest Today | Board of Trustees | Executive Team | Success Stories