Youth Stories

One of our young people, Natalie, came to us about 18 months ago. She had lived with her mother surrounded by relatives, but, within a few months, her great-grandmother, grandmother, and uncle – the only father figure she ever knew – passed away. She was trapped in a relationship with a boyfriend who beat her, and, one day, she and her mother had a fight and her mother threw her out of the house . . . for good.

Two years ago, a patient came into an emergency room in a local hospital. The patient complained of serious pain, but the doctor quickly realized that the patient was in the depths of addiction and was drug-seeking. The doctor refused to give the medicine and the patient became violent, grabbing a scalpel and attacking the doctor. At the last second, a security guard had to restrain the patient, preventing the patient from stabbing the doctor – or even worse.

Sam was just 17 and had already been homeless for three years. His mother’s new boyfriend threw him out. He couch-surfed, moving among friends and relatives until he ran out of places to stay. He spent more than a few nights outside huddled on park benches around Center City.