This  youth had been coming to Home Base for several years way before the HUB was even built. He, like many of our youth, had ups and downs in his life without much stability or support. We always knew he was doing well when we would go months without seeing him, because it would be during these time periods that he was working or living at home with his family. When he would visit Home Base on a daily basis, we would know that he was going through a tough time. It usually meant that he had lost his job, was kicked out of his home, had gotten into some sort of trouble, or sometimes all three. During one of these difficult times, he had lost his job and had also lost his housing. He expressed to me that all he wanted was someone to take a chance on him, to give him the opportunity to better his life. He talked about how tired he was of living the way that he had been for so many years, and just wanted to be in a position to financially support himself and to help out his mom. We talked about his employment goals and the programs that were available to him. He decided to join Every Bite Matters in hopes that it would help him get back on his feet.

He is someone that is naturally full of life and brings laughter to all that are in his presence. He was so successful during the program that the seniors he interacted with were captivated by his positive attitude and vibrant personality. Within a month of being in the program he had moved back in with his mom and begun to repair their relationship. He also expressed a deep sense of relief as he felt he was finally able to provide financial help to his mom, something he previously had not done. Once the program was over, he continued to maintain his employment and works there to this day. He makes an effort to stop by every so often to fill us in on how he is doing, and he frequently thanks us for helping him get on a positive track in his life.

– Youth worker, Employment Program