BHGH was founded on the vision that children with high potential who are abused, neglected, impoverished or otherwise at risk could be saved and eventually thrive. The founder of Boys Hope Girls Hope is Father Paul Sheridan, a tireless Jesuit priest with a twinkle in his eye and strength in his soul. The priest was determined to find an alternative to traditional foster care. In the 1970s, Father Paul lost a lot of sleep but gained many lifelong friends as he crisscrossed the country looking for supporters of his vision. He believed that providing at-risk youngsters with value-centered, family-like homes, positive adult role models, and a quality education would enable them to reach their full potential. Today, BHGH operates 30 homes in four countries and one hundred percent of Boys Hope Girls Hope high school graduates go on to college. For this episode of the Visionaries, a crew travels to BHGH homes in America and Brazil to find out what makes this program so successful. In Sao Paulo, they witness the desperation of legions of abandoned children who roam the streets and struggle to survive, their anger often exploding into crime and self-abuse. In this atmosphere, in the narrow alleys and the tin-city favellas, Father Sheridan somehow manages to plant seeds of hope and inspire deep love and devotion. Through our visual journey, viewers will discover for themselves how Boys Hope Girls Hope is saving kids...one life at a time.
