I am now 56 years old. I have 2 grown children and 7 beautiful grandchildren. I was at RAP for a year. I was there for my 10-11th grade, so i guess that was 84-85. I remember the rooms and I remember how great it was to finally be able to watch TV...well the movies. I watch Karate Kid and the never ending story. I remember most of the girls in my head, but forget the names..accept for one...Susie. I remember Donna and her daughter name Donna...which I do not think liked me or acctually alot of us. LOL. But Big Donna cared for us. I remember making oddles of Noodles and Tomato soup. I remember sitting in the kitchen on the bench and having group therapy. I remember the tutoring, but I forget what room I was in, cause I was allowed to go to Central Bucks West High school. I have a lot of fond memories. It was tough and strict, but it definately helped me be the woman I am today. The reason why Im on here, is because I just was working and heard a song on Amazon Music, and it made me think of RAP.
This was a nightmare for me. I went to RAP when I was just 14. I was already scared there and Donna just made it so much worse. I was like a slave doing all the girls in the house laundry. Over 15 girls with a color coded laundry code horrible. Or I was cooking for 15 girls and the staff. I had makeup my shampoo my hairspray taken away. Couldn’t listen to a radio I had to listen to one cassette tape over and over we were all slaves cleaning emptying big trucks of baked goods. Fruit crates so heavy freezing out. Judge Tressler put me here and every single time I went to
Court nope that house would
Keep me somehow?! Even though I cooperated through mental and physical abuse. Meetings with my mom they made my mom hate me basically. These ladies were horrible
People you had to say in groups you were sexually abused in life even
If you weren’t. If you wanted any chance of getting out. Like they prey on young girls there. I was terrified everyday I was there 2 very long years of my young life. My youth was stollen I was deemed “ungovernable” that’s it I didn’t break any other laws. I was being punished like a slave!!!! I was scared to even talk to the staff here. Has to use their soaps their shampoo in a shot size only for a cold shower. That was monitored watched they made us get naked in front of them. Just sick!!!! They should be charged what they did to us and kept us there. Always listening too I remember my dad would visit me bring me Burger King on an old dirty bench where they would listen so I couldn’t tell my dad I was being abused. Rotten horrible people. Donna hopefully is dead and long gone. I’m now 45. This place still haunts my nightmares.
DONNA WAS A DEMON. I HOPE SHE IS DEAD. KNOWN FOR RIPPING FAMILIES APART. NO PSYCHOLOGICAL DEGREE OR SOCIAL WORK EXPERIENCE. RIPPED MY FAMILY APART.
I remember my time at Reaching At Problems, Inc. as being transformative – not abusive nor as a greedy woman trying to extort the system by exploiting the mental health of teenage girs. If you were sent there, there was a “mental-health” reason. I ran away from home because my mother was a self-absorbed drug addict that didn't want to see the harm her lifestyle brought to me, nor my younger sister. I ran away and refused to go back. The PA State Police, in 1988, threatened to take me to "Monkey Hall" in Norristown, PA - where the really "bad kids" went for murder, cutting, stealing, etc. I was labeled as a 15 year old girl that was hormonal and acting out - no matter how much I told the officer of the mental, physical, and sexual abuse we endured because of our mother’s lack of parenting. Drugs always came first – NEVER her kids. Some say RAP was a bad experience. To me, it was a system of rules put in place to help us learn about self-reliance, independence, maturity, how to deal with emotional stress, past abuses, and how to look forward to a better life with better mental health awareness. I do remember the bench but not being ridiculed. I remember everyone had chores, the color room system with Blue Room being the lowest and Gold Room was the top of the ladder. If you lied, you went back to the blue room and started working on yourself again to work through the 9 color levels to get back to the top level – Gold Room. I can't remember the title given to those in the Gold Room but they were leaders, mentors to others, examples of how opening up, working hard on your own personal issues, and learning the most basic of life skills (cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, budgeting, being home schooled by tutors, doing arts and crafts in the barn, etc), having family therapy sessions, group therapy, individual therapy, among other things, you could hopefully have a better life experience as you entered adulthood. I did run away once and when I got back, I was immediately back where my story began, in the Blue Room – the same room new RAP members were placed at the beginning of their stay. I was NEVER treated horribly, never verbally or physically assaulted, never treated in a way that was anything negative. There were strict rules but they were there to teach us. I would say if you weren't open to learning more about your own mental health or how to be as close to normal as possible in society, you would think the place was hell to live in. I don't. I will always remember it as being the greatest thing I ever did for myself when I was 15; in 1988. I ran away from home and I learned more about myself and my role in my own life. I did not end up an addict. I still remember the name of the first name of the person I mentored and how RAP took her all the way to Hahnemann Hospital for open heart surgery. Donna Lasorda Cimino will hold a positive place in the history of me. As I'm now almost 50 years old, I can say with certainty, Donna tried to help young girls. And, sometimes it worked. I'm proof.
Was placed ther when I was about 13. Not only was the place abusive, but my parent signed paperwork allowing me to smoke. We got free cigarettes while we were there. We had to keep track ok when we smoked ,but that is besides the point. There was a hard couch they called "The Bench." When it was deemed you did something not right or if they were just bored you were put on the bench. You slept, ate and during "group " you had to sit there while everyone and I do mean everyone shouted, and screamed verbal abuse, even Donna she's underage son was included in this fiasco. Dunce caps were worn, it was horrible!! Donna, Mickey seemed to get off on this witchhunt.The got all the other girls worked up as well. HORRIBLE PLACE. Don't even think about running
That would bring a bigger storm on your head. I know I am not the only "Graduate " that feels this way. I was there late 70's and I still have nightmares about that place. Thanx mom and dad. You guys should have known better before sending me to that snake pit!!!!! Pryncezzz Vonfranklinstein
I was at Reaching at Problems (Rap) when I was 14yrs old they were strict and taught me alot ! Donna and her Mother were great also were a few of the staff! I'm 44yrs old now with my own family now I would love to tell them thankyou for all they done for me and would love them to see me now
Reaching At Problems or RAP as we use to call it was one of the worst group homes for teenager girls I have ever came across. The staff didn't care about us young girls in slightest sense, it was all about money. I went to RAP when I was 14 not knowing much about anything and this place thrived upon preying on innocence and taking full advantage of the system. I have ran into many of staff members who worked there when I was there and they all said the same thing "I had to quit because the Director of the program was malicious and didn't care about you all." I am so happy this place has closed down because it did nothing but make young girls feel bad about being who they were.