Roger (assumed name) showed up about 6 months ago, very motivated and determined to get off the street. Actually, he was living in his car. And because he was clearly motivated and willing to abide by the expectations we have, we moved him into one of our pallet shelters.
We don’t know much of his story, but at one point he needed to spend some time in jail in a county close by. After doing his time, he came back and continued his journey of striving to move forward. And just recently, he was hired at a local retirement center to provide maintenance and security services!
Roger clearly fits into the 1/3 of our young guests who appear motivated to move forward and get off the streets. These are the guests who ask for help, are not struggling with addiction and seem to have the abilities needed to function within our society. They just need a bit of additional assistance, the type of assistance most young people will receive from their families. But since the overwhelming majority of our young guests come from families of generational poverty, addiction, criminal activity and other dysfunction, they won’t receive this needed support.
At Hosea, we strive to fill the void of a loving and supportive family. Our staff and volunteers work hard to connect, learn stories and provide important support services. And quite possibly, our young guests will feel loved and supported for the very first time in their young lives.
Thank you to the many of you who partner with us in providing a sense of family to our young homeless community!