Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Facility Question and Answers => Topic started by: FRENCHY1965 on April 22, 2010, 04:29:13 PM
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I am considering sending my daughter to the refuge.I would like to have some feedback from anyone that either has been there or parents that have children there or that were there because I want to make the right decision for my daughter.
Thank you so much in advance for your comments.
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I am considering sending my daughter to the refuge.I would like to have some feedback from anyone that either has been there or parents that have children there or that were there because I want to make the right decision for my daughter.
Thank you so much in advance for your comments.
You are not a parent, so stop while you're ahead. A vague and short topic was were you went wrong!
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Look,I didn't ask for this kind of comment.I AM a parent and I am in touch with Debbie,which by the way is out of town until next week and her daughter has forwarded her a message for me today as a matter of fact so please refrain from being so unpleasant by answering something that I am not interested in.Thank you.
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It is the female version (http://http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Refuge_of_Grace_Academy) of Agabe Boarding School run by some rather extreme christian people.
Getting the socalled education accredited back home may be a problem. They state that they are not accredited in their forms (http://http://refugeofgraceacademy.org/2doc.pdf). Any work conducted at this school would include the risk that it would be done for nothing and the time would be wasted.
In general I find that it is a problem if my child is not allowed to keep photos of her own parents without having it going through some kind of photoshop process. They have a very special standard for family photos.
Finally the male version was founded up in Othello, Washington but was forced to relocate to Stockton. It is stated that this movement was "forced". However no explanation is given about what forced them to move.
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Look,I didn't ask for this kind of comment.I AM a parent and I am in touch with Debbie,which by the way is out of town until next week and her daughter has forwarded her a message for me today as a matter of fact so please refrain from being so unpleasant by answering something that I am not interested in.Thank you.
I think you're a lying sack of crap.
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Here are some comments left on one of those "review" sites:
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3 stars /5 (2 ratings)
Refuge of Grace Academy (http://http://local.yahoo.com/info-17879542-refuge-of-grace-academy-stockton)
(417) 276-2555
10866 E Highway 32, Stockton, MO 65785
Cross Streets: Between 1180 Rd and E 1350 Rd
5/5 by helpful · 01/10/2010
Thank God for people like you. I am glad you have a burden for young girls. I hope they will all come out of your program to be godly ladies.
1/5 by former student · 03/15/2010
i am a former student of this so called boarding school which is really a cult. we were forced to do follow rules and regulations so strict and ridiculous, many former students have nightmares about this place. i do not recomend this school at all. not only are you forbbiden to speak with your parents for weeks at a time, there is punishment for not conforming to their religion and beliefs. the owners debbie martin and bud martin, will brainwasher your child and leave her worse off than when she started, please pray for the girls that remain in that hell hole,
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Thanks both Oscar and Ursus for your answers,I had found the ones from Ursus from local-yahoo also,I just hoped that some parents or previous students would give me info on their experiences,good or bad as it is a life changing decision that I am about to make for my 16 y/o. Again,thanks.
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If you read the following document carefully, it almost sounds as if they can keep the kids' transcripts "hostage" as yet another form of behavior modification ... of the parents as well! Geeeezz.
It also confirms Oscar's earlier observation that they are not accredited.
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Refuge of Grace Academy
ACADEMIC INFORMATION (http://http://refugeofgraceacademy.org/resources/Academic-Information-1_doc.pdf)
Academic-Information-1.doc
Revised 10/31/2008
TRANSFER OF CREDITS
When a student is enrolled at Refuge of Grace Academy, Refuge of Grace will contact her former school with a written request for an official transcript. If we do not receive an official transcript from the school, we will contact you and you will be responsible for getting an official transcript sent to us by mail. Upon receipt of the student’s official transcript, the official transcript will be reviewed by the school administration.
ACCREDITATION
Refuge of Grace Academy is not regionally accredited. Refuge of Grace Academy is a ministry with sincerely held religious convictions against government control and oversight over the academic aspects of our institution. While the State of Missouri does not require Refuge of Grace Academy to obtain any state or regional accreditation in order to operate or grant diplomas, individual public school districts, colleges, and universities establish their own admissions policies. What this means is that, although state law does not require that a private Christian school student or graduate come from an accredited Christian school in order to be eligible for admission into a public school, college, or university, those individual schools do have the authority to impose such a requirement. While most of the schools gladly accept students from unaccredited Christian schools, some do not, requiring the student to undergo additional testing or retake core subject courses. Because we have no control over the policies adopted by public high schools, colleges, and universities, we cannot make any guarantee for graduates of Refuge of Grace Academy with regard to admission into college or transfer of our credits back into the public school system. Parents are encouraged to personally check with their local school districts or colleges in which their children are interested to find out what their particular policies are regarding admissions and transferring credits.
If the student receives a diploma from Refuge of Grace Academy and all of the financial responsibilities have been paid in full, the school will issue a completed official transcript to any institute for further education (i.e., universities, colleges, technical or trade schools, military, etc.) upon request from the student or the receiving institution. The first two official transcripts will be issued free of charge. After the first two, there is a $10.00 fee which will need to be paid before the official transcript is issued.
REMEMBER[/list]
1. Any student removed prior to completing the withdrawal procedure will receive a grade of "incomplete" in all subjects.
2. Procedure for returning home is initiated when these following occur:
A. The student feels she is ready to return home.
B. Both parents feel the student is ready to return home and the parents are ready for the student to return home.
C. The Refuge of Grace Academy feels the student is ready to return home.
3. All parents must agree to leave their daughters enrolled at Refuge of Grace until all three of the above occur.
4. Students 16 years of age or older may be required to remain at Refuge of Grace until graduation from high school. This will be decided prior to enrollment.
REQUIRED CREDITS FOR DIPLOMA
HONORS = 30 Credits 3.0 GPA
COLLEGE PREPARATORY = 28 Credits
GENERAL = 25 Credits
Please Note: There is no leaving during a semester. Graduates can not come back for graduation, unless authorized by the administration.
DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
When a student enters the Learning Center, she will be given diagnostic tests in Math, English, Social Studies, and Science. These tests will determine where the student is placed in each academic subject. Usually a student will have "learning gaps" that need to be filled. We will fill these "gaps" and then the student can continue at her grade level.
CURRICULUM
Refuge of Grace Academy utilizes the School of Tomorrow and Landmark Curriculum. We are a Christian based, "character-building" school, and this is reflected in our curriculum.
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A whole bunch of documents that you would be needing to sign:
http://www.refugeofgraceacademy.org/res ... sAug09.doc (http://www.refugeofgraceacademy.org/resources/RofGFormsAug09.doc)
They claim that they are not accredited for religious reasons:
- Second Party understands that the School is not regionally accredited in order to minimize government control and oversight consistent with the religious mission of the School.
- Second Party understands that the School makes no warranty or guarantee, express or implied, that any educational institution will accept or recognize any credit for coursework or degree conferred by the School.
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Please for the sake of your daughter, do not send her to this so called reform school. I am a former student, and in no would want to misrepresent this, or any other place that I have attended. When I first arrived at the school, I'll admit, I wasnt a perfect child, however, after leaving the strict guidance of this place, I was ten times worse. (If you cage a mildly assertive dog, and release it years later I promise you it will turn into an aggressive breed) I was a free spirited, 15 year old girl, tough, yet big hearted. I have never been known to just cry for any reason, but let me tell you, after just a few mintues of attending the school, I bitterly wept for the first 6 months. Not only did i feel abandoned, I felt unloved. After receving my first phone call after 30days, I did nothing but sob uncontrollably to return to that place I called home, and after being denied such, I was chastised verbally by Miss Debbie for even asking to do so as soon as the monitored call ended. I could go on and on about specifics of this place, however seeing that I am replying to your post some months later, I fear I may be too late. My post icon is a heart, because I harbor no hate towards these people, however each and everytime I hear of another parent considering this place, it breaks my heart because i feel like i should have done more to prevent this. Bro. Bud and Miss Debbie, supposedly have a burden for rebellious girls, well i too have a burden, and its the burden of getting the word out to parents who just dont know what to do. Seperation is not the answer, and again I beg of you, please do not scar your child for life by sending them away. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, Im more than willing to respond, as is my mother, who now regrets the decision that utimately cost her 19 thousand dollars, and her eldest daughter.
-concerned former student
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Please for the sake of your daughter, do not send her to this so called reform school. I am a former student, and in no would want to misrepresent this, or any other place that I have attended. When I first arrived at the school, I'll admit, I wasnt a perfect child, however, after leaving the strict guidance of this place, I was ten times worse. (If you cage a mildly assertive dog, and release it years later I promise you it will turn into an aggressive breed) I was a free spirited, 15 year old girl, tough, yet big hearted. I have never been known to just cry for any reason, but let me tell you, after just a few mintues of attending the school, I bitterly wept for the first 6 months. Not only did i feel abandoned, I felt unloved. After receving my first phone call after 30days, I did nothing but sob uncontrollably to return to that place I called home, and after being denied such, I was chastised verbally by Miss Debbie for even asking to do so as soon as the monitored call ended. I could go on and on about specifics of this place, however seeing that I am replying to your post some months later, I fear I may be too late. My post icon is a heart, because I harbor no hate towards these people, however each and everytime I hear of another parent considering this place, it breaks my heart because i feel like i should have done more to prevent this. Bro. Bud and Miss Debbie, supposedly have a burden for rebellious girls, well i too have a burden, and its the burden of getting the word out to parents who just dont know what to do. Seperation is not the answer, and again I beg of you, please do not scar your child for life by sending them away. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, Im more than willing to respond, as is my mother, who now regrets the decision that utimately cost her 19 thousand dollars, and her eldest daughter.
-concerned former student
Thank you....I hope in time you will heal.
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:timeout:
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I would not send your daughter there. Although Bud and Debbie Martin will probably deny this. They had a school in Gaylord, Michigan and it was closed down by the Child Protective Services. I'm sure you can find this info if you contact CPS of Michigan. I knew of at least 3 girls that were removed and returned to their homes and then the facility was closed. The CPS investigator believed that there was some abuse but not enough to press charges. They were ordered to cease and desist. That's when they moved out of state. The church they are affiliated with now needs to do background checks for every state. So sorry to have to give out this kind of info. But if it saves one child from abuse it's worth it.
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I realize some of these posts are old and now outdated, so in the intrests of fairness, I feel I should clarify
Some of the misinformation here. First of all, Refuge of Grace Acedemy is now accredted. Parents just need
To fill out the dual enrollment paperwork when the child starts there. I know a lot of girls that have been helped by this school.
It is no picnic, and some of the hard cases have trouble because they are not used to living under rules.
They do provide a lot of structure that teens desperately need and their costs are reasonablle when compared to other boarding
Schools. BTW a lot of Christian schools have been forced to move to different states because the lawmakers make it harder for them to exist in some states. There are virtually no Christian boarding schools on the West Coast thanks to California's compulsary attendance law. There is only one that I know of in Michigan, but it costs 60000 per year.
Anyway, I know a lot of parents that stand behind ROG as a good solid, reasonable cost program.
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I realize some of these posts are old and now outdated, so in the intrests of fairness, I feel I should clarify
Some of the misinformation here. First of all, Refuge of Grace Acedemy is now accredted. Parents just need
To fill out the dual enrollment paperwork when the child starts there. I know a lot of girls that have been helped by this school.
It is no picnic, and some of the hard cases have trouble because they are not used to living under rules.
They do provide a lot of structure that teens desperately need and their costs are reasonablle when compared to other boarding
Schools. BTW a lot of Christian schools have been forced to move to different states because the lawmakers make it harder for them to exist in some states. There are virtually no Christian boarding schools on the West Coast thanks to California's compulsary attendance law. There is only one that I know of in Michigan, but it costs 60000 per year.
Anyway, I know a lot of parents that stand behind ROG as a good solid, reasonable cost program.
Well, thank you for your input. What, in your opinion, qualifies someone as being one of those "hard cases [who] have trouble because they are not used to living under rules?" Which "rules" do the girls seem to have the most difficulty with?
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First of all, Refuge of Grace Acedemy is now accredted. Parents just need To fill out the dual enrollment paperwork when the child starts there.
Now, here is a bit of potentially confusing obfuscation. I think a lil more explanation might be in order?
The fact is, the Refuge of Grace Academy does NOT actually appear to be accredited itself. Rather, parents need to enroll their daughter in both Refuge of Grace Academy as well as distance education provider Lighthouse Christian Academy, simultaneously, and it is through LCA's accreditation that the girls supposedly get "an accredited education."
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Various testimonies from parents and teenagers are mixed - From Merchantcircle (http://http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Refuge.of.Grace.Academy.417-276-2555/review/list):
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Refuge Works When Parents Are On Board
Rachel is right. There are many, many girls that are glad they went to ROG for what they learned. It is no vacation spa. They have to follow rules and ROG is a very high structured environment. But it is one of the lower cost schools when you compare it to similar boarding schools (not state universities . . are blondes writing some of these reviews!?!) Also ROG's academics are accredited through Accreditation International - parents just have to fill out the paperwork within the first 6 wks.
February 16, 2012 by buzzliteyear in Stockton, MO
WOW!!! Guys your pretty ridiculous for this blog!!!!!
I can't believe you guys would write such hateful, awful,stuff about such a great place. Just because you chose not to use the great resources given to you and let them work in your life and decided to ruin your own life with your ow selfishness, doesn't mean you have to take it out on them or that ministry. I'm sorry your so bitter and would rather live your life in a mess that you created yourself, but there's lots of people such as myself who are grateful for such a AWESOME!!!!! place like this and anyone reading this, it's totally fine to send your daughters here, don't isten to the few girls that chose not to take what they recieved and use it to better themselves. It's a great place and I'm all for it. I promise there is absolutely no abuse or anything questionable:):)
November 21, 2011 by Rachel Laurin
Thank you God for Refuge of Grace
Bro Bud and Miss Debbie were two of the many different tools God used in my life to help make me the person I am today. It was because of their love for God and determination that I am now a student at Pensacola Christian College. My life was an absolute mess, I was making many choices that would soon lead to my destruction. When I first arrived at Refuge of Grace Academy in November, 2009, I was not very enthusiastic about being there. I was bitter against my family, the school, Brother Bud and Miss Debbie, but most of all, I was bitter against God. I watched their every move to see if they really did have the happier, more peaceful life that they promised Salvation would bring. It was Brother Bud and Miss Debbie's persistence that led me to God and help put my life back on track.
November 18, 2011 by tiredoflies in Stockton, MO
thank you bud and debbie for ruining my education
your uncredited school put me back 2 years!!! you are two hicks that live a tax free life by being control hungry. luckily I did not fall under your spell or as bud liked to put it 'brainwashed' and today I live a full life at 28. Had you brainwashed me as you hope to brainwash every girl, I would probably live in a shadow of a man that I married right out of high school and started pushing babies out. Luckily I had a stronger head on my shoulders than you thought or wished for. Your 'school' may have come a long way since my time, but that does NOT make it right to have used me and several others as guinea pigs. You are two control hungry people and will one day account for everything you have done. ONE DAY
November 02, 2011 by Anonymous
None
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old , he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6. If parents would train there kids to live right then there would be no need for homes like Refuge to send your girls to. Quit blaming the Martins an point the finger at yourself first. You obviously suck at parenting. Oh and the pregnant girl in IL, she got pregnant almost a year after she left the home. All she wanted to do was bum off whoever she can bum off of then tell lies about them after she gets what she can off them, my family being one of them.
November 02, 2011 by Patrick Anderson in Troutman, NC
when will the state finally shut you down
my daughter jordan has been home for a yr now spent 4 monthes came home went back two.at any given time there are only 18 to 20 girls there. in the last month there have been 9 girls she went in that brief time who are pregnant one who lives with us.friday child services in missouri called my home.asking me if my daughter was abused physically.How do I answer that when I wasnt ther but I know I have the medical bills from urinary tract infections she never had before there and not since she left.and besides my own daughter who had no accredited schooling i was lied to she would i have another girl who was there over two yrs who didnt get her education either.I believed bud and debbie because I was a desperate parent who loved her child, like others .The fact is you will pay alot of money to people who lie to you play on your desperation and love for your child and all youll get is quiet at home while they are gone. and then they come home and its a bigger mess
July 03, 2011 by karen campbell in Lansing, IL
its only DOUBLE to go to Princeton University!!! PRINCETON!
How does an uneducated couple really get away with this!!! bud and debbie are not an Ivy League school, not even close, but yet they have the right to put a price tag as if they were an Ivy League School??? graduate from Debbie and Bud's school, they cant even get into a University. they still have to take a GED... which is equivalent to a high school diploma... which in that case, why send your kid to school? if a GED costs a few hundred dollars.... why send them to bud and debbies school for 20 grand a year??? when their diploma really means NOTHING. please EVERYBODY, do your research!!!
June 21, 2011 by E in Beverly Hills, CA
yearly tuition.... $19,200
when i heard about this, i thought.... wow, what a scam!!!!! these are uneducated people that just woke up one day and decided to start a 'school'. ok, i do know separation of church and state but this is insane!!!! just google 'UCLA TUITION' and there lowest tuition, if a student lives with relatives, is $22, 181.... we are talking about bud and debbie (hicks, uneducated hicks at that) compared to the University of California of Los Angeles. there is no comparison, really! i am really appalled! there are no words that explain how i feel about this since it was bud and debbie that ruined my education!!!! RUINED! them and their unaccredited 'school' bud and debbie - BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!!!! how do you sleep at night?
June 21, 2011 by E in Beverly Hills, CA
Women need to be heard, not silenced - like the way Bud and Debbie believe
"What is true for religious minorities is also true when it comes to the rights of women. History shows that countries are more prosperous and peaceful when women are empowered. That is why we will continue to insist that universal rights apply to women as well as men - by focusing assistance on child and maternal health; by helping women to teach, or start a business; by standing up for the right of women to have their voices heard, and to run for office. For the region will never reach its potential when more than half its population is prevented from achieving their potential" - President Obama
Debbie and Bud aren't teaching what America is trying to change in the Middle East. If you want the lowest of your daughter, send her here. If you have high expectations for your daughter, keep searching. Bud and Debbie are not your answer. It is a disgrace what they are doing and how they look at women as not equal to men. Shame on you Bud and Debbie! IT. IS. 2011 !!
May 19, 2011 by E in Beverly Hills, CA
BOOK TO COME
I have finally come to a conclusion that I WILL write a book about this place and the many places they have been in the past. Every state they moved, they changed their name. And they have moved a lot... ask them, parents, they shouldn't lie about that. Why they moved, will either be very vague or a lie. I personally wouldn't trust anything that comes out of Debbie or Bud or Melissa's mouth.
April 26, 2011 by ... in Scottown, OH
only God knows..
even prisoners get an hour outside, for the first few months I was there we NEVER went out. I went to refuge march 2009 to nov and well.. I came out fragile and feeling like dying. The martins convinced my parents and I that I had stds to keep me there longer. Once my parents said they cudnt afford it they were happy to let me go! Besides that I went to the doc after I got out and foundout I was completely fine and healthy which made me so angry. I was at first disliked by debbie bcuz the first night I got restrained for pushing her back wen she pushed me first! I lost the feeling in my hands for a couple weeks. I was a guide there after a few months and tried to help as many girls as I cud. It was only possible for me to get through by learning to live inside myself. Their self righteous arrogant ways make a bad name for christians. Only God helped me through and only Gods forgiveness keeps me from a lawsuit.
April 03, 2011 by jkk92 in Stockton, MO
only God knows..
I went to refuge from march 25 2009 to nov 14 2009. Maybe some of you kno me. I was a guide to jordan and a few other girls. Lets just say I cud easily have a lawsuit on the martins for falsely telling my parents that I had stds just to keep me there. I definitley do not. She had evn convinced me which ultimately led to me almost killing myself. But besides that the lack of conversation and evn ability to go outside made many extremely depressed. To them it was a privilege to do anything.. Chores, being allowed to sit, doind anything. My mom sent me letters and evn food that I nvr got. But all I can say is that God got me through and only him. And not their self righteous prideful baptist beliefs. I tried to help as many as I cud there. Learning to live inside ur mind isn't something anyone shud haveto do to survive. I wrote another review on here that disappeared. I hope this one stays and you remember that I'd rather b locked up than go through wat we went through at refuge.
April 03, 2011 by jk in Los Angeles, CA
Hey Bryan Vroman
Hey Bryan Vroman why don't you stop trying to protect Bud and Debbie and do the right thing? If all these girls (including myself) have been to this wretched boarding school for years, don't you think we would know what's REALLY going on? Don't you think we would know the truth since we were the objects of their brain-washing and cruelty?
It annoys me to hear people like you, "I'm a friend of Bud and Debbie's and I think what they're doing is great..." Don't you realize that every time we had visitors Debbie would put on a huge front? HEELLLOOOOO!!!! They acted like they loved and cared about us soooo much in front of people, but when it was just us girls she couldn't give a flyin' flip about us. When I first got there, I didn't see that lady for MONTHS.
Debbie is very, very manipulative..she is such an evil lady. PARENTS DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO THIS BOARDING SCHOOL, IT WILL BE THE WORST DECISION YOU'LL EVER MAKE!!!!!!
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS PLACE IS EVEN STILL OPEN!
March 20, 2011 by Anonymous
Refuge of Grace= evil
I don't know how any parent could read all of the horrible reviews on this site and multiple others and still send their kids to R.O.G. God help all those poor girls still trapped there.... :(
March 20, 2011 by Heather
Bud and Debbie Martin, with Melissa
I am so glad to know there are some people that have made a page on them! They are crazy! I am fortunate I had to only be with them for half a year, because, my mom finally had some social workers come and get me out!!! I had to be at another home just like it for a year and a half though!! I didn't know who the hell I was when I got out. They did nothing for me. I feel horrible for the girls that have been brain-washed and sabotaged.
February 16, 2011 by Katie McDonald in Los Altos, CA
It's me, Heather again
I forgot to mention that this crazy cult also preaches about the inferiority of women..they will try to brainwash your daughter into thinking she shouldn't work, that she should be a submissive wife and basically be a house mom for her whole life, as if it were 1642 or something.
I highly suggest you DO NOT give up your daughter to Bud and Debbie, she will hate you for it and they will break her down and try to build her back up as a robot..a robot with no opinion that is too afraid to speak up for herself. Trust me, I speak from 19.5 months of experience.
Check out my whole story on Facebook Causes!
http://www.causes.com/causes/542153 (http://www.causes.com/causes/542153)
Feel free to contact me and I'll give you any information you want on these horrible, evil people.
Refuge of Grace Academy will be shut down for child abuse!
January 30, 2011 by Anonymous
SPEAK OUT AGAINST REFUGE OF GRACE ABUSE!
Hello. My name is Heather and Debbie absolutely hates me because I will never be quiet about the horrible experience I had at Refuge. To hear my whole story, please type in Speak Out Against Boarding School Abuse on Facebook Causes. Or just use this link http://www.causes.com/causes/542153 (http://www.causes.com/causes/542153) There you can read my whole story. Feel free to contact me on FB about any questions you might have about this awful, evil place. I cna't believe they haven't been shut down yet! I won't be much longer...
January 07, 2011 by Heather
Debbie Debbie Debbie
Did you really think that every 'girl' would listen to you once they left? or that every 'girl' would agree and approve of your actions? you must start thinking rationally and logically.... MUST. you are ruining young womens LIVES. this is not a joke anymore. stop using religion and God to live tax free. stop using religion and God to make money.... STOP. get a real job and stop using girls' lives. they are not play dolls, they are humans!! with feelings and if you REALLY want the best for them, you will shut down and stop giving them credits that do not exist.
EVERYBODY: PLEASE COPY AND PAST LINK BELOW IN BROWSER
http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/for ... ce_Academy (http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/fornitswiki/index.php/Refuge_of_Grace_Academy)
November 02, 2010 by ... in Clinton, TN
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*It's been over 2 years
October 30, 2010 by Anonymous
Refuge.
I went to this boarding school for 19 1/2 months. I got over 2 years since I got out and I still have nightmares and wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweats. I had been completely brainwashed and abused, I had no idea who I was, and I was totally and utterly miserable. Not once in my entire 19 1/2 months there did Debbie Martin, the owner and director of the boarding school, ask me how I was doing, what was on my mind, what I was struggling with, or just even had a decent conversation with me about the weather. She couldn't care less about me. She was all in for my mom's money. They monitored our phone calls and letters so we couldn't inform our parents of the abuse we were going through, and she would lie to my mom and tell her I was rotten evil child. She did everything in her power to make me miserable. I hated life...
October 30, 2010 by Anonymous
ROG will one day be closed.
Don't worry girls, one day karma will have her sweet revenge. Go to Yelp.com, let's start making an even louder statement. We will not be forced to be silent like we were while we were students. People will know the truth and Refuge will be shut down. All of those girls will be set free. God is not on their side, they make a mockery of God and religion. Don't give up girls.
REMEMBER, GO TO YELP.COM AND START WRITING TRUTHFUL REVIEWS ABOUT WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH!
dreamcenter.org is you're a really desperate parent. please do not send your daughter to refuge. please don't do that to her.
October 10, 2010 by HRC
This is truth.
Refuge of Grace Academy literally almost killed me. It was the lowest point I've ever been in my entire life. Please visit Yelp.com and post reviews girls. People need to know the truth so they don't make the deadly mistake of sending their kids there. God bless.
October 10, 2010 by HRC
Please Listenn!!!
I came home for 2 months after I got out of Refuge thanking my family&God,then I ended up back at Refuge,I thought my life was over.I Stayed there for 4 months exacly,while my time there for the 2nd time I experienced hell there again,ya know coming back I thought I knew how to play the system but they just made it harder on me because I acted like I knew everything.I got into A.C.E while I was there and im supposed to be a sophmore but they decided to put me in6th grade messing my high school years up.Schooling there was not accurate,time went by and i got into some trouble.Cathy Wilkie made every girls time there a living hell,if she wasnt happy neither were they girls.On January 9th.2010 I got kicked out of Refuge becasue of my sexuality.Knowing that Debbie and Bud knew I was gay before I came there.But they kicked me out stealing all of my parents money.ALL THEY DO IS TAKE UR MONEY,this is not a place to send your daughters too.Trust me there are many girls that could tell you this
September 26, 2010 by Jordan Campbell in Lansing, IL
The HELL hole!!!!
I started at Refuge Of Grace Academy in March 19th,2009.-July 30th,2009.I left at my 1st vist and I thanked my parents for taking me out. i have so many stories about that place, it was my worst nightmare. at one point they took all our belongings (our pictures, letters, everything to remember our families). When we went to eat you were only allowed a certain amount of food only the "good" kids got seconds. how can you not alow a person to fill their stomach.At one point they gave us 5 sheets of toilet paper,if we didn't listen we got restrained and that is when they hit all of your pressure points and you lose feeling in your arms legs and ect..Iv'e gotten restranied the 1st time I was there.I seroiusly thought i'd never survive there.The stuff they said made you feel like you were going to be there till you were 18 years of age.I do NOT recommend this school for any other girls they will come out worse than they came in.
September 26, 2010 by Jordan Campbell in Lansing, IL
debbie and bud, shame on you!!!
to the post below, it doesnt shock me that debbie and bud did that. they are really not nice people and for them to claim they are Christians is an insult to the religion.
they are power hungry. post below is a good example. another good example, even though its little, its a good example. bud wouldnt allow the girls to have short hair, but his wife debbie kept hers short. the poor girls that had thin stringy hair had to grow it out and it did nothing for them. power hungry people!!!! they just want to give orders and be in charge. do not believe anything they tell you!
September 13, 2010 by former student in Woodland Hills, CA
you dont deliver what you promise a desperate parent
i sent my child there. with a promise from debbie she could help my child. with the knowledge that she was confused i thought about her sexual identity and debbie said we can help her and knew what my child thought she was took our money made us commit to a yr and threw her out because of her sexual identity after 15000, sent her home and its been hell but not that alone i have another grace kid. whos adopted parents sent for a couple yrs threw her away and quit paying at 18. they put her on a bus to st louis with20 dollars and the name of 3 woman shelters.18 alone with no diplomadont waste your money and dont trust these people. i swear on the bible this is the truth. debbie and bud shame on you for what you did to natalia and jordan so you know its not over yet . you cant promise you can deliver than quit and you cant takemoney from a parent that doesnt care about their kid and throw them away like they did. shame on you both.for her and jordan we are gonna persue this
September 05, 2010 by karen campbell in Lansing, IL
i didnt want to write anything....
but i came across this article that reminded me too much of what debbie and bud push on these innocent girls... please read this article! and i agree with the post below mine, most of the girls go straight to marriage/having babies/back to drugs... there are other places that can actually help your daughter. GOOGLE parents... its too easy to find some where else
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfa ... d=talkbox1 (http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/spirited_atheist/2010/07/bristol_and_levi_poster_children_for_the_dumbing_down_of_america.html?hpid=talkbox1)
July 27, 2010 by former student in Clinton, TN
Forsake of Your Daughter.....
Please do not send your daughter to this hell hole in the middle of nowhere. Im not saying this only as a former student, but a human being.... no body deserves this, Seclusion from family, friends and society is not the way to go. I'll admit I was no angel when arriving at the school, but after I got out, no only did I harbor hate in my heart for my own mother who had sent me there, I felt unloved by all of those who did nothing to get me out. This place does not rehabilitate you, its breaks you until ultimately, you are only a shard of your former self. I beg of you. Please do not send your child to school, where 87 percent of its students are either pregnant, had a child after getting out, or on drugs, or are now homeless. This is not just a play on words, these former students are my friends, and it breaks my heart to see them suffer at the hands of so called christians, Students from 5 or more years ago, should not rate this, it has changed alot since then.
July 23, 2010 by Trying to Save a Heart in Fairview Heights, IL
Thank God for people with a passion!!!!!!!
About 15 yrs ago I was in a awlful, dark, undesirable place in my life. I had a family member locate Refuge of Grace Girls school. So i attended, at first unwilling to change i found myself depressed, miserable, and hating everything around me. I knew why i was there; i had gotten off course--started hanging around the wrong crowd (isn't that how it always starts????) then came the drugs, sex, and skipping school. I had to ask myself (do i want to stay this way or do u want better for urself? After all thats why ur here u actually have family that loves u enough to get u help.) So i let down my brick wall knowing i got my ownself in this situation and staring working own myself with the help of Godly people just trying to fulfill Gods destiny!!!! Refuge of Grace Girls Acad. is a great place for teens that have gotten off track in life and just need help pointing them back in the right direction. There's no need in these people writing bad reviews because it just isn't that way!!!
June 02, 2010 by Jennifer H in Albemarle, NC
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First of all, Refuge of Grace Acedemy is now accredted. Parents just need To fill out the dual enrollment paperwork when the child starts there.
Now, here is a bit of potentially confusing obfuscation. I think a lil more explanation might be in order?
The fact is, the Refuge of Grace Academy does NOT actually appear to be accredited itself. Rather, parents need to enroll their daughter in both Refuge of Grace Academy as well as distance education provider Lighthouse Christian Academy, simultaneously, and it is through LCA's accreditation that the girls supposedly get "an accredited education."
Here's some more material on the "accredited education" issue...
First, here's what the Refuge of Grace Academy has to say about it. From their website:
[Note the spelling in the page title - "Refuge of Grace Girls Academy - Accredidation" ... perhaps a bit curious to find this on the website of an organization which purports to "educate?"]
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Refuge of Grace Girls Academy - ACCREDIDATION (http://http://refugeofgraceacademy.org/accreditation.html)
Refuge of Grace Academy offers a fully accredited high school diploma through it's dual enrollment program with Lighthouse Christian Academy.
(http://http://refugeofgraceacademy.org/IMAGES/sacs-casi-logo_sm.png)
Lighthouse Christian Academy, the distance-education provider of Accelerated Christian Education® (A.C.E.), is pleased to offer a program designed especially for schools using the A.C.E. curriculum.
Lighthouse Christian Academy (LCA) is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), a division of AdvancED. As a direct result of its accredited status, Lighthouse Christian Academy can validate the education students receive while attending Refuge of Grace Academy.
Lighthouse Christian Academy is offering each student attending on campus at an A.C.E. Model or Quality Status School the opportunity to receive an accredited transcript and diploma through participation in the LCA Dual Enrollment Program. Boarding schools who have earned A.C.E. Model or Quality Status automatically qualify for this program.
Refuge of Grace Academy is an A.C.E. "Quality Status" facility.
You can download the application (http://http://www.aceministries.com/lca/pdf/LCADualEnrollApp_web.pdf) for the boarding high school dual enrollment and send it back to the Refuge of Grace Boarding School office along with the processing payment of $200. If you have any questions about this program you can contact us (http://http://refugeofgraceacademy.org/contact.html) at the main office.
© 2011 Refuge of Grace Academy (Missouri)
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Here's the website of Lighthouse Christian Academy, at least the one which is pertinent in this particular situation (there are a number of LCAs, not necessarily related to one another):
http://www.aceministries.com/lca (http://www.aceministries.com/lca) ...which redirects to http://www.lcaed.com/ (http://www.lcaed.com/)[/list]
They are apparently based in Madison, TN:
Institution Profile
Institution Name: Lighthouse Christian Academy (http://http://worldwideaccreditedschools.org/detail.php?xcod=56687&ppagina=1&ypag=1&ypag1=&c=1#RESULTADO)
Institution Type: School
Public/Non-Public: non-public
School Type: Distance Education School
Charter: N/A
District Name: N/A
Address: 160 W Due West Avenue; Madison TN 37115-4501
Head of Institution: Mr. Charles Campbell
Grades: K-12
Enrollment: 5000
School Website: http://www.aceministries.com/lca (http://www.aceministries.com/lca)[/list][/size]Accreditation Profile
Organization Status: Accredited
Accreditation Status: Accredited
Accreditation Date: 7/1/2010
Accreditation Expiration Date: 6/30/2014
Accredited By: Ai NCPSA[/list][/size][/list]
Here's the website of Ace Ministries, of which Lighthouse Christian Academy is a part of: http://www.aceministries.com/ (http://www.aceministries.com/)
And here's the website of Accreditation International, the accrediting organization of distance learning provider Lighthouse Christian Academy: http://www.aiaccredits.org/ (http://www.aiaccredits.org/)
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Re. the most recent review posted on Merchant Circle (http://http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Refuge.of.Grace.Academy.417-276-2555/review/list), and reposted (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=30382&p=413746#p413649) above by Oscar:
Refuge Works When Parents Are On Board
Rachel is right. There are many, many girls that are glad they went to ROG for what they learned. It is no vacation spa. They have to follow rules and ROG is a very high structured environment. But it is one of the lower cost schools when you compare it to similar boarding schools (not state universities . . are blondes writing some of these reviews!?!) Also ROG's academics are accredited through Accreditation International - parents just have to fill out the paperwork within the first 6 wks.
February 16, 2012 by buzzliteyear in Stockton, MO[/list][/size]
Gosh, that review by "buzzliteyear" sounds quite similar to some commentary posted (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=30382#p413624) here the very next day by "buzzchipyear"... :D
Also, gotta wonder just how the presumption of hair color figures in the overall scheme of promoting some kinda "education"... wow.
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Ursus wrote;
Also, gotta wonder just how the presumption of hair color figures in the overall scheme of promoting some kinda "education"... wow.
'Cause blonds have more fun? (sorry)
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Hey there..!! After a long time I found such an interesting stuff..!!
Thank you for sharing this with us..!!