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Rainbow Sheep...I sure did. I was there several times over a period of 3 years in the mid 1960's. I have to admit that I forgot all about this forum. I am going to come back here in a few days and share my story. Someone mentioned "Mama Simms," and I can say I definitely remember her, and Donna, and Jim Wilson, and the Secretary...Vicki. There are several others I can "visualize," but can't remember their names. As far as the "kids" go...I remember the Ruiz brothers and Barbara Glover, and their was little Donnie, maybe 6 years old, whom everybody loved. Need to call it a night. Take care. (Feb. 26, 2018, 10:30 PM)
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Hello. Gosh this thread began in 2006 and myspace no longer exists. I wonder if we started a group on facebook if that would be a place we could have a HRH alumni of sorts. I actually was a keynote speaker recently, and shared my experiences in foster care with a large group of teens. I came across this photo of the day I left Hillcrest Receiving home. My journey began there at the age of 2 when my mom left me in their parking lot, and it ended there at the age of 17 when I was able to contact her through a reunion service while living in Hillcrest for the umpteenth time. I have photos of many of my friends and the staff there, and letters as well as fond memories of the relationships I formed there with staff and kids alike. I was googling about Hillcrest because I am planning to be in San Diego and although I know it no longer exists, I thought it may be cool to bring my kids to where a huge part of my life story took place. I found this thread while I was googling it.
My First time there was in 1978-1979 and my last time there I was 16-17 and it was 1992-1993. I had several visits in between. I think it would be nice to have a group for us to share our experiences and connect. I did find a group on facebook but it was created in 2014 and no members or activity. I sent a join request to see what will happen.
If there is interest in creating a group, let me know how to invite you on facebook and I will create one :) If anyone has a better idea, I am happy to hear it!
Here is a photo of the day I left Hillcrest for the last time.
Greetings
I have to say ! SO Happy I found this ! I too was at Hillcrest in San Diego from 78-79. So many memories. I NEVER thought I would ever find anyone who spent time there.
I would love so much to connect with those who had been there around the time I was there so please reach out.
Liane G.
Blessings
This is absolutely great! I was turned onto this site by my "Home Study" worker as we are going through the process of becoming foster parents ourselves. I and my six siblings have such a LONG history w/ HRH. From 1973?-1981 So many memories! I don't know where to begin. The School that you only had to, maybe, do one page of problems then you got to sit in the been bag chair and read comic books. I still don't know all my times table! LOL There was a man from India who taught us how to use a checkbook. We also watched a movie in School that, even as a child I thought was inappropriate for kids, where a man lived in a remote cabin w/ his wife who died while he was away, he wrapped her body for burial and left it on the table overnight. During the night a mountain lion got in and he shot it. During the light of day he found that the lions paw was in his wife's mouth shot off! SMH The PRIZE CLOSET! I remember buying "Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific" shampoo? One time my brother, sister and I used all our points to buy b-day presents for our little brother that was in the "primary" unit. If you ran way you lost all your points. How about, seemed like hundreds of pairs, the red jeans w/ green frog on them?! I was there when the powers that be told "Mama" Simms that we could no longer call her that and she couldn't give us hugs anymore. Anybody else remember when there was a road kill deer donated. I worked in the kitchen then. I didn't eat meat for over a week just in case they served it! LOL Some of the staff..Marcia Bottoms Jim Height, (Former Charger) Mr Watson, Mr Wadson, (Tall, white haired older man. He once drug a teen boy by the collar up to the front bc he had tried to molest me) Tom? Skinny guy w/ long, thin, blond hair and a bad leg. Tony? He had real curly hair and used to play his guitar and sing to us on the field.So many times I ran into my siblings coming from other foster homes. At one point my older brother was there for 12 Months and I was for a little more than 13. At the time that was a record! The court clothes closet! When I was there at one time I broke my thumb when a boy hit a baseball as I came around the corner. Headed straight for my face. I deflected w/ my hand. I din't go to the Hosp. for two days until another kid was sick! BUT. That meant I got to go on field trips w/ the Seniors. I was an Intermediate. One of them was a fancy political dinner at the Marina. The saddest part for me was when I had my youngest there and he was locked behind the gate in Primary. We only got to touch him through the fence. Soooo much more I could bring up!! I spent more time there than an actual home! All in all it was a good experience.
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hello everyone I was at Hilcrest early 90s and I just started a facebook group, for those who were there from the late 80s early 90s, please join and share your story maybe some of you remember me, hope to see some old friends
My siblings and I were at Hillcrest in the late 80’s and early 90’s too. I’m starting to unpack and process all of my childhood traumas and I remember being at Hillcrest pretty clearly. I remember going to school in the classroom trailers and the strange feeling of being in a place where all the kids had the shared experience of being from rough/neglected/troubled homes. I remember attending the big Christmas party at a fancy hotel. I would love to connect with other people who share the Hillcrest experience
I remember Hillcrest Receiving Home. I think I was there from 1984-1988.
I remember CATC next door what used to Southwood RTC
I remember my School Teacher Susan Burris, A black lady named Ann, and both Linda Nicolas and Linda Poloski
It is hard to put into words what was going on with me at the time being just a child back then, but looking back it's amazing that I'm not more messed than I should be. Ha!
Came across this site today (5/12/2021), and noticed some familiar stories here. I also recall Mrs. Chodas. I along with my siblings were there in January thru February 1967. Some of my siblings were sent to various family friends for a time while myself and younger brother stayed for an entire month.
Along with Mrs. Chodas, I also recall the point system (bonus points for making your bed correctly), the closet to use your earned points for toys (I think I got a plastic model). I also have many bad memories of that time, both personal but as well as from the staff and other kids while we were there. There was hazing, and some very disturbed individuals, like that "Mr. Chicken" mentioned in an earlier posting (a later posting I may describe how he got his nickname).
Some of the practices by the staff for examples, as brothers on the boys side, none of us were allowed to share the same bedroom and were then split up with other kids - not a good experience given our drama of the time (I read about the brother above who committed suicide). I also believe there was staff abuse, while not widespread, but that did happen, especially to some of the young boys and girls.
There are smells and songs that bring me back to that awful period and I believe it has had a lasting impact to my life.
I recently requested records from the County but was told there were none "to be found." I think some of this may have hit the shredder. Wish I could do the same with my memories.
I will come back and post more items here but would love to hear from others.
Last update on May 12, 1:40 pm by Doug Meyer.
I've been helping my mother-in-law research her family history.
She and her "brother" were dropped off at Hillcrest around 1960.
(Dolores and Michael - ages were appx. 12 and 10).
Is there anyone here that was at the center around that timeframe?
Thanks,
Shelly
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I was in Hillcrest sometime around 1986-1987 with my 3 siblings. I did not see my 2 brothers much and my sister and I got put into different spaces (not sure why) It felt like we were there for ever and kept going back. My sister and I went to and I went to an all girls group home for a bit and it was so scary. I eventually got out of the system but not because my mom got her stuff together but because I got old enough to take care of myself.
Anyway I am looking for the social worker who was on our case. Her name was Sandy Bliss (spelling?) Wondering if anyone had her or heard of her? Want to thank her for saving my life.
Last update on December 22, 9:16 am by Mia Thomas.
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I was at Hillcrest in 1978 with my brother and two sisters. I remember hearing a lot about Hillcrest as a kid in San Diego. It was considered a very scary place synonymous with juvenile hall and that scared me a lot as I was basically a juvenile delinquent raising hell all over downtown San Diego. Our family were drifters who spent many nights in movie theaters, parks, "borrowed" abandoned buildings, etc. Well, we were living at the Blue Bell Motel on PCH when my mom and stepdad decided to move to Hawaii. When the welfare check came, they bought tickets and took off, but left us with a baby-sitter in Linda Vista. Ten kids in the baby-sitter's home, constant stream of men hooking up with two of the lady's daughters, and a lot of drug use and physical abuse. When she heard nothing from my parents in Hawaii, she reached out to my grandma in Seattle to have use taken off her hands, but it was too late. We were seized from the home by child services and went to Hillcrest.
HIllcrest was definitely institutional, but not as bad as I feared. The caretakers were nice. We when to a Padre game, movies, ice-skaingWe earned points by being good and helping out, so I was a kitchen helper and did my best to stay out of trouble. My sisters were sent to the younger unit, so I did not get to see them at all once we went to HIllcrest, so that was sad. I remember going to a small school there, but don't remember learning anything. I liked the playground, which overlooked the canyon. Very high fence. I also remember everyone asking, "What are you in here for?" Everyone talked about what had happened to them as if they were the ones who did the mis-deeds for which they were in the home. Child abuse, molestation, neglect, parents in jail, etc. For me it was "abandonment." Sad to know that kids take the blame for the shit their parents do, but I guess I did. I thought, if I had just been good, maybe my mom would have taken me to Hawaii, instead of dumping me off with the crappy baby-sitter.
We were at Hillcrest for a couple of months until Child Services found a foster home in Poway for all four of us. That would be another blog post, but they found my mother in Hawaii and charged her with abandonment. My step-father had taken off. After two years in the foster home, we went to live in Hawaii with her. Another long story, but two years later she took off again and we went to a foster home in Hawaii. Haven't heard anything from my mom since then.
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My siblings and I were at Hillcrest in the late 80’s and early 90’s too. I’m starting to unpack and process all of my childhood traumas and I remember being at Hillcrest pretty clearly. I remember going to school in the classroom trailers and the strange feeling of being in a place where all the kids had the shared experience of being from rough/neglected/troubled homes. I remember attending the big Christmas party at a fancy hotel. I would love to connect with other people who share the Hillcrest experience
I was there in 1979
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Greetings
I have to say ! SO Happy I found this ! I too was at Hillcrest in San Diego from 78-79. So many memories. I NEVER thought I would ever find anyone who spent time there.
I would love so much to connect with those who had been there around the time I was there so please reach out.
Liane G.I was in hilcrest around April 1979 I was 5 my older sister Tammie was around 13.
Blessings
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My sister and I were at Hillcrest several times during the late 50's and early 60's during my parents custody battle. The police brought us in the middle of the night after taking us out of bed at 5-8 years old. It was a very traumatic experience to say the least and to make it worse they separated us which was heartless and uncaring...Neither my sister or myself have good or pleasant memories of this place. I do believe it was those years that they did things differently than they do now.
Last update on April 11, 10:13 pm by Colleen Anderson.
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