Stories...

When Tim was three years old, his house burned down and his parents divorced. After that, he didn’t see much of his father, and his mother chose drugs before parenting. So, Tim was left with his grandmother. At 13, he began to act out his disappointment and anger with growing aggression—he broke household furniture and took a knife and cut up his grandmother’s bed sheets. Tim was sent to juvenile detention and then was placed at Jackson Street Youth Shelter. During his five-week shelter stay, he received individual and family counseling, joined in group activities at Old Mill Center and the Boys and Girls Club, and developed a list of personal goals to work toward. Tim recently returned to his grandmother’s home on good terms and continues to improve.

Sara lived with her mother and stepfather in a highly volatile home environment. One day, as her stepfather was slapping and pushing Sara’s mother, Sara threw a rock at her stepfather that hit him in the head. Sara was sent to juvenile detention and, shortly after, to the shelter. While at the shelter, Sara attended counseling sessions and returned to visit her mother, but it seemed apparent that she was not welcome or safe at home. Sara found the support she needed at the shelter and prepared to become more independent. With staff guidance, she applied for and received a legal ID, wrote a resume, landed her first job, and participated in activities designed for youth who are doing well. Eventually, she transitioned into the home of a relative where her stepsister also resides. Today, Sara is enrolled in school, has a part-time job, and is working toward accomplishing her own goals. Like many other shelter graduates, Sara still keeps in touch with the shelter.

Martha sought refuge and friendship at the shelter several times between the ages of 15 and 17. When not at the shelter, she lived with and was the sole caregiver for her mother, who had been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. There were some days when the responsibility, demands, and unstable conditions at home were much more than Martha could handle. These were the times that she would show up at the shelter seeking consistency and a break from her unstable home environment. During her recent one-month stay at the shelter, 17-year-old Martha landed a job and saved more than $600 to be used toward moving out on her own. Staff assisted her in filling out college applications and financial aid forms and in writing grants. This September, Martha moved in to her first apartment with a roommate and is enrolled at OSU. She stops by the shelter regularly to visit and donate food.