Judge Robert Drake believes in all children. Back in the early 50's and 60's, he says he saw too many of them in trouble with the law for serious crimes. Many of them boys from broken families, moved from foster home to foster home.
"They've been booted around all their lives. And if you'd give them a chance it would be a, to participate with others and they show respect for others and it has to be a combined respect shows respect," said Judge Drake, the founder of Highfields, Inc.
"Judge Drake's vision 50 years ago was pretty amazing when you look back at it," says CEO Brian Philson.
A simple and compassionate vision from a judge used to handing down punishments, Drake came up with the idea to rehabilitate troubled boys with a residential program.
"That's what Highfields was established for, was to give kids a chance, conditioned on good behavior, to build their lives," remembers Judge Drake.
50 years later, Highfields' residential program is its smallest. The organization has branched out into communities across Mid-Michigan, re-building thousands of lives through in-home family counseling to programs after school; each designed to keep families out of the courtroom.
"When we see a kid or a family turn it around and achieve more than they would ever dreaming that they could achieve, that's what Highfields is all about," said Philson.
"It's kind of a work in progress you know, because as you define and identify needs that are really basic to building better families and better relationships among everyone, you're building better communities, and I think that's the great thing about Highfields," said Judge Drake.
Judge Drake will be among more than 400 people who gather next Thursday to celebrate Highfields' 50th anniversary with a gala at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing called "C'mon people."
