Today we have another story of a youth from the Salem community working to create positive change in her own life. This teen who has experienced both abuse and homelessness, regularly comes to HOME where Sophia, our Outreach Worker, heard her talking about needing help finding a job. Sophia offered to help and they began working on creating a resume. They focused on turning in applications to employers, and even conducted mock interviews for practice and skill building.
Later that week, this youth used some of these new skills to seek employment. After turning in an application and resume to a local restaurant, she was encouraged by HOME staff to call and ask about an interview. She did so and was asked to return in two days for an interview. She recently excitedly announced that she was hired! We are especially proud of her for her work in overcoming an educational barrier, physical abuse, and a history of depression. This job is more then just a paycheck. It is a first step to accessing safe shelter, rebuilding her self esteem, and promoting the positive future she sees for herself.
This youth, like so many others we see here at HOME, prove that there are "at risk" youth who are willing to work hard to make changes in their lives. They are not idly sitting by waiting for someone to give them a hand-out or for opportunity to fall in their laps. These youth are actively engaging in ways to create opportunity for themselves and to make change. HOME is a place that provides some logistical and emotional support but the motivation comes from within the youth.
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