29 July 2010

Every summer, The Salvation Army hosts kids and teens at its three camps. Located throughout Washington, the camps are set in natural outdoor environments with wooded areas, meadows, wetlands and lakes. Whether they visit for one day, or stay for a week, every camper leaves with a smiling face and a renewed spirit.

For Frankie and Talolo "Lolo" Falaniko, two teen brothers from Tacoma, camp was quite different from their day-to-day life. The former homeless gang members dabbled in drugs and didn’t care much about anything else. But that changed when they attended camp last summer.

In 2009, the Falaniko brothers lived with their family in Renton. With ten relatives under one roof, they couldn’t make ends meet and soon lost their home. They went to Tacoma and turned to The Salvation Army. In October, the family moved into the Jarvie Emergency Family Lodge

“I was embarrassed to be in a shelter,” 16-year-old Frankie said, as he described how he snuck around the building so no one would see him. Frankie said he quickly befriended others at Jarvie and learned that many of them also attended his school. “We all became family.”

Frankie and his 15-year-old brother Lolo said they frequently skipped school, ran the streets and got into all kinds of trouble. They’ve seen friends get thrown in jail and others killed. They knew they needed something to help turn their lives around. “Our lives changed because I let God into my life,” said Frankie. “The Salvation Army gave us a place to stay, a church and even helped us find a home of our own.”

Now in their own home, the brothers say their family bond is stronger than ever. Their stint in the shelter could’ve easily torn them further apart, but actually made them pull together. Prior to being homeless, Frankie and Lolo said their relationship with their parents was strained. Now, having gone through so much in the past year, they are closer than ever. “Our dad wants us to choose our futures ourselves and is letting us do stuff now, like coming to The Salvation Army camps,” Lolo said.

Lolo plays the guitar, Frankie plays the ukulele. Both said music has always been a way for them to escape the harsh reality of their lives. Both spent a week last summer at The Salvation Army’s Camp Arnold where they learned and even taught music.

Frankie said camp inspired him, and he hopes he can make a difference in the kids’ lives by teaching them how to play the ukulele. Lolo agreed. “Music makes me happy. It takes me away from all the bad stuff.”

The brothers admit they have a long way to go but they’ve also come far from the days of running and living on the streets. Their focus is now on being good role models for their younger siblings and each other.

Lolo said when it comes to meeting their future goals; he knows they’ll do it. “My brother doesn’t give up – that’s what I love about him.”