Will is a family man. He brings it up in almost every conversation. In this case, however, the family he’s referring to is his large group of brothers at the Good News Boys Home. When describing his years as a Boys Home resident, and now as a staff member, Will keeps coming back to that word:

• On attending the 40-Day Summer Challenge and Academy: “It’s a family for sure.”
• On being part of the Academy football and basketball teams: “It was more like a family playing together than a bunch of kids that went to school together.”
• On joining the Boys Home staff: “I knew what kind of family environment it was, and it kind of drew me in and hasn’t let me down at all.”

You’d think Will considers the Boys Home his home. Well, he does.

Arriving at the Boys Home in the summer of 2018 for the 40-Day Challenge, the then-16year-old Indiana native wasn’t sure how he’d manage. Although he grew up in a home with rules, Will’s resistance to authority left him wondering if he could make it in a place that demanded total compliance in a highly structured program.

“The hardest part I think any boy can face in the program is being so far from home,” Will said. “The only thing you can do to really combat that is make the place your home. That’s what I ended up doing.” He bought into the program, giving his life to Jesus Christ during the Challenge. By the end of the summer Will and his parents agreed the residential Academy at the Boys Home was the best option for getting him back on track academically.

Will applied himself, enthusiastically embraced the vocational training courses– “I enjoyed things like learning how to use a skid loader and backhoe, and the basics of framing” — and graduated from the Academy in January 2020. After graduation he took a job at a home improvement store and then worked at his mother’s vehicle graphics company. This past August, he saw a Good News job posting for Boys Home Dorm Supervisor. Will felt a tug at his heart, applied and got the job. He was back with his extended family. As a Dorm Supervisor he spends his days planning activities and being an encouragement to teen boys just like he was years before.

“Will’s been a big asset to the team,” said Kurt Glosser, Boys Home Director. “As a past graduate he has quickly established rapport with the boys and developed relationships, because they know he gets it and understands where they are coming from. A number of the boys confide in him, and seek him out, specifically for discipleship and life discussions.”

Now at age 21, Will said he’s exactly where God wants him to be: with family. “I want to make sure I put emphasis on how much like a family the whole ministry is,” Will said. “You’ve got all these people backing you, some of them you’ve never met but they are still in your corner. It’s an organization that will do just about anything for anybody, which I really appreciate. This is very much a life and not just a job.”