The Seed...indeed

[smarino]

I found this on the web about the place

https://theseedindeed.wordpress.com/authors-story/

I had never heard of this place until now. My only experience w/ things like this was Scientology, another place where people were brainwashed. After reading some of the stories here, Scientology, evil though it is, was a walk in the park compared to what you folks went through. The media has done a masterful job of covering all this up.

[Sweetkate123]

I was in the Seed 1971-1972... I am pictured in one of the 3 videos I recently found online. Is there a facebook page where I can connect with other Seed survivors?

[Megs1031]

My older brother; Al Stabile, "attended" The Seed in Ft. Lauderdale when it was on Andrews. My parents were given this recommendation as he was expelled, per the Nun who was Al's counselor at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He was 15/16 and I was an 11/12 year old, 5th/6th grader and an absolutely terrified little girl. I was scared to death for my big brother - not really knowing what took place there. We were lucky because we had a "whole family" per se, because our parents were happily married and living together at home - so Al was able to come home every night. But, my parents had to welcome a "Seedling" who came from a broken home, to move in with us. And, even though a few of them were serious drug-addicts (one was addicted to heroin), my parents did all they could to make them feel welcome and part of our family. And, these young men were really nice, polite and respectful of my beloved parents and our home.

I well remember the name "Libby" - she was there to meet us when Al was checked in...very scary.

Friday nights "family nights" when parents would sit in chairs clear across the parking lot from their children - they weren't allowed to speak to them, hug them or kiss them. And, kids would take the microphone and "confess their sins", apologize to their parents and family, make all sorts of promises and beg to be allowed to come home. So many heartbreaking tears. I didn't fully understand what was taking place, but, I just could not fathom someone like Art Barker having full control over my parents - or, any parents, and not letting them touch or hold their own children! It seemed like torture. I cried the entire time - and, I would beg my parents to stop taking me with them those Friday nights. I also remember when Sens. Edwin Muskey and George McGovern paid a visit during parent's night, which seemed to validate the program. They were so ignorant of what was taking place in that horrible place!

About halfway through his time at The Seed, my brother Al took me aside at home and shared with me the dangers of doing drugs and he made me promise him I would never do drugs. He was my only sibling and I adored my big brother, so, I made that promise, and kept it. He never shared with me and our folks what was happening at The Seed - but we could see a serious change in him. It was so disappointing, 4 years later when he turned 20 and I was 16, when he told me he bull****ted his way through the program. In retrospect, who could blame him...or anybody else for doing WHATEVER they had to do to get out and go home!!! Al continued to do drugs for another 20 years and lost everything he had. His wife passed away in 1992 due to drug and alcohol abuse, leaving behind their two young sons, ages 5 and 10. My husband and I immediately took them in and raised them like our own along with our 4 children. In 1995 Al fell in love with a wonderful lady named Angie, and that year they helped each other to get clean and sober, and they've maintained that now for 25+ years together!

My heart hurts for all of you who suffered through that horrific place of cruelty. Art Barker was an evil, disgusting man. Please know, I keep you in my prayers each day!

Please take care, be well...stay safe and healthy. May our Lord's many blessings be yours! I apologize for the length of this post - I was on a roll of sad memories.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Meggie Ulrich
San Diego, CA

[llllizlll]

Warren:

I am also one that believes if it wasn't for the Seed I would be dead...from suicide. I was such a lonely kid. People made fun of me, hit me many other things. I finally was introduced to drugs. Wonderful drugs! They took the pain away, they gave me acceptance with those people that picked and abused me cause I was different. My life was still such a long way from being happy, but at least I had acceptance and friends. I had questions too. I got jealous of someone I knew in elementary school. I carried that self loathing cause I was a bad person for feeling jealous. Eventually, my unworldly Christian parents just didn't know what to do with this girl that wouldn't cooperate, that pulled away from them cause it was uncool to hang out with your family. I also told them, cause I wanted to be honest with them, that I was doing drugs. Somehow, way up in Brevard County they found out about this place in Fort Pierce and in 1974 on April Fool's Day, I found myself at the Seed and in the office talking to this woman with a nice smile who was friendly and kind, Susie Conners! She ended up being my one thing in he'll that was beautiful. When she would walk in the big room, I aways felt safe. Several years ago, I actually found her and was able to email her and get a reply. The food at Fort Pierce was significantly better than the PBJs we ate until ham and cheese on Friday and leftovers on Saturday afternoon with Tuna fish on Saturday night and unless you wanted to put yourself in jeopardy of getting food poisoning on Sunday, you did not eat, while in Fort Lauderdale. We got Subway subs, pizza, hamburgers, etc. All food was brought in by parents AND sometimes we even got seconds!

The Seed was hell! It was brutal. The sleep deprivation and standing for hours at the oldcomers home was horrible! Getting "stood up" was terrifying! It was a horrible experience and after leaving and even to this day, I would NEVER go back and do it again a third time! BUT...I gained things there that changed my life forever! I learned to understand myself and others. I learned that it is normal to feel jealous and I was not a horrible person and I wouldn't go to he'll for it. I learned about manipulation of others and how some girls would actually mess up someone's clothes or hair to feel better than them. Learning to understand myself (empathy) and others was the greatest gift the Seed gave me. I also learned that I didn't have to do drugs to have friends.
I have to backtrack a bit. After being there, I couldn't understand what my life would be like without drugs. Drugs gave me acceptance and friends! WHY would I ever want to go back to before drugs? Well, I had friends in the Seed, after graduation, I ended up joining a cult that infiltrated our Church (Crossroads Church of Christ HQ based on the campus of University of Florida) and I had friends there also that didn't do drugs. I believe that my self-hatred and low self-esteem was made worse there and again, it WAS Hell!! But, I am grateful for the gifts I got there that helped me and that I have used to this day. It still took me years of medication, therapy, medication and getting old to mostly accept myself and feel that I have just as much right to live on this planet and the right to be considered a human.

As far as child trafficking goes, I don't believe it! Did Art have a "God Complex", yeah! Were there people who got messed up, yeah, but not everyone and not me. During my emails with Susie, I never asked her and she never offered information, but you are the first in my memory that has something to say good about the Seed. Thank you for your letter. I am sure that you will probably never see this response as, if my memory is correct, your post is almost from 10 years ago. I hope if others of us that went there and had some small positive experience, that they too will post.