An Ever-Changing Story of Resilience
If you are a long-time supporter of For The Children, you may be familiar with the story of Samantha Orr—but just as with time, her story is ever-changing. Many have been touched and inspired by her story—one of trauma and heartache, but also one of hope and resilience—and many have been moved to give and to serve. Her trauma-defying success is a testament to the incredible power of God and his ability to take what was meant for evil and turn it into good. Samantha became a middle school mathematics teacher, achieved both a master’s and a doctorate degree, and is now the middle school assistant principal at the same middle school that she attended as a student. What an incredible success story! She represents just how effective five days can be when those five days are filled with people, fueled by the love of God, whose entire goal is to love, cherish, and uplift the kids at camp. And she represents a growing number of children whose lives have been and will continue to be changed by moments at Royal Family KIDS Camp and Mentoring. With more new camps launching in the United States and around the globe each year, we can surely expect more stories like Samantha’s. And so, with her unique experience and powerful testimony, we are proud to announce Samantha Orr, Ed.D., as For The Children’s newest board member.
A Childhood Marked by Trauma
For those who are unfamiliar with Samantha’s story, Samantha is one of seven biological siblings, although she was the one most targeted for abuse. At the hands of her mother, father, and stepfather, she experienced what was considered the worst case of abuse in her county. Samantha recounts the beatings with any object her mother found available at the time, including frying pans, curtain rods, and belts. She describes eating off the floor and, when not given any food at all, being punished if she tried to find food in the trash can. When her mother left for work, Samantha’s father (and then later stepfather) would take her into their bedroom and continue the abuse in unthinkable ways. She recalls being locked up as punishment in the basement, a dog cage in the garage, and a cupboard next to the oven. What’s more, her siblings were taught to treat her as a servant and even to abuse her too. She was never safe. “At times, I even prayed that it would be my last day, just so that the pain, isolation, and lack of food would end.” 1 Yet God had a plan for her life. On January 11th, 2002, Samantha and her siblings were taken away by social workers and police officers and placed into foster care. At eight years old, Samantha was enrolled in kindergarten without having any school experience at all. She was behind in reading, math, and speech, and many likely wondered if she would succeed at all or if her trauma had too greatly set her back. Her days quickly filled with tutoring and speech sessions, counseling sessions, family visits, and later, summer school, and before summer school was finished, her foster parent informed her that she would attend a camp. Samantha assumed that she was no longer wanted, that she had done something wrong. But she packed, was dropped off at a church, got on a bus, and headed to Royal Family KIDS Camp.
The Day Everything Changed
Like many other campers, Samantha was skeptical and nervous. It took a couple days before she began to trust that the adults around her were safe and did not want to harm her, that they actually cared for her. But then she had a blast, participating in all the activities, songs, and games. She made her first friend. “I was feeling loved and accepted for the first time.” 2 She had a week of unforgettable experiences and life-changing moments, and some time later, she was adopted by a volunteer whom she had met at camp that week: Dr. Jean Orr.
God's Plan in Motion
Yet God had been working out his plan for Samantha and Jean’s good long beforehand. Jean is a professor of psychology at Evangel University, and for seven years, she worked as a psychologist at a residential treatment facility, working with children and youth in foster care. When introduced to Royal Family KIDS Camp by one of her pastors, Jean saw a ministry opportunity. “I remember so vividly telling him I could not sing, so the choir was out, but this was actually a ministry I could do and would enjoy!” 3 She became the camp psychologist and was responsible for recruiting the campers. So, before she even met Samantha, Jean had fallen in love with the eight-year-old, blue-eyed girl. Samantha was a last-minute camper that year, and Jean had met with Samantha’s foster parent and heard some of her story and her trauma. Then, throughout those five days at camp, she was drawn to Samantha. “I tried to give her the best birthday party gifts. I wanted to be at activity centers with her. I wanted to swim with her. She deserved to have fun and to be free to be a kid. I really wanted to see her smile.” 4 After camp, God stirred the hearts of Jean and her husband even further, beginning talks of fostering and adopting, and of course, the Orr family eventually became Samantha’s forever home.
From Camper to Forever Family ... A Royal Family
After being adopted, Samantha gave her life to the Lord and forgave her biological mother, father, and stepfather. “From that moment on, I let God use my story to help other people and to help kids like myself.” 5 And it is evident how God has been doing just that. She began volunteering with Royal Family KIDS Camp and Mentoring programs to be able to help give more children the same life-changing experience that she had. Despite the expectation of some that she would not be successful academically or socially, Samantha worked hard to succeed in college, and then in graduate school, and then in her doctoral studies. Her success as a middle school math teacher is evident in that she is now Assistant Principal! And still, she describes looking back at her experiences in the Royal Family KIDS Programs as some that completely altered the trajectory of her life. “Camp is a part of who I am…For The Children and it’s Royal Family KIDS Camp and Mentoring programs are here making a difference in the lives of kids just like me every day.” 6
As a board member, Samantha’s resilience and her story of healing and hope will bring valuable insight and experience to For The Children. She can be a voice for so many children who have experienced—or are experiencing—relational trauma, as she has. We are so thankful and honored to have her on the Board of Directors. Thank you and congratulations, Samantha!
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1-2, 5-6Orr, Samantha. For The Children 40th Annual Gala.
3-4Orr, Jean. For The Children 40thAnnual Gala.
