Five year old Ronnie* seethed with anger any time he did not get his way.  His violent explosions intimidated other children and isolated him from school mates, friends and family.  Without intervention, it appeared this young man most probably would, one day, succumb to the mean streets that had taken his father's life, when Ronnie was just four years old.

     For most of his few short years, Ronnie's dad had been his primary care giver.  The two were inseparable until the tragedy that tore the family apart and tore Ronnie's heart, causing his pain-ridden, emotional outbursts.

     Ronnie's mother, Joyce, tried everything to balance the demands of raising an angry child while working full time, dealing with her own grief, and trying simply to make limited ends meet.  Her son's behavior and lack of academic progress doubled her sense of loss and hopelessness.

     Desperate for help, Ronnie's Mom enrolled him in the after school program run by Camp Fire, North Shore Council.  With some financial help, he was accepted into the Camp Fire program.  For a long time Ronnie still lashed out and bullied the other children, refusing to abide by the rules set up for the good of all.  At times it seemed he was a hopeless case, a young man so damaged that he might never recover.

     Camp Fire staff met to put together a plan to try to help.  Through consistent personal attention, behavior management techniques, positive reinforcement and by modeling and instructing him in anger management alternatives, Ronnie slowly began to change.

     At first, the change was subtle.  He made a friend.  Then, his eruptions grew less frequent and then less violent.  His academic success began to change when the Camp Fire site coordinator personally and without cost, began to tutor Ronnie, since his family could not afford the academic help he needed.

     Now, Ronnie has been in various Camp Fire programs for several years.  He has many friends, is respectful of rules and the feelings of others and is even considered a role model by his peers.  Through consistent, caring and skilled intervention, Camp Fire made a difference to one little boy.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy