For months I slept in parks and ate at The Salvation Army.  I showered at family members’ houses, but they were always quick to tell me I couldn’t stay. I ended up at the San Jose Job Corp where I was training as a customer service representative, but then I moved to LA to live with my Uncle.

Once in LA, I was able to continue my training with the Los Angeles Job Corp, but eventually my Uncle ended up kicking me out of his place and I became homeless again. The Los Angeles Job Corp pointed me in the direction of the Technology Youth Source Center.  It was hard for me to open up at the Technology Center. I didn’t want to talk to anyone and just kept to myself. Eventually the Youth Center pointed me in the direction of Jovenes Inc. and I began to heal.

When I arrived at the Jovenes Emergency Shelter, I was still very quiet and kept to myself. The hardest thing for me to come to terms with at Jovenes, was learning to accept help without feeling helpless. At first I didn’t want the help and resources that Jovenes offered, but I eventually learned to accept the help and that is what has made all the difference in my success. It was my case managers at the emergency shelter really helped me open up and flourish.

The resources at Jovenes have and continue to help me grow. They even led me on a journey to find out about my father who committed suicide when I was 10. I have since been able to reconnect with his family and begin to heal. I am currently living in permanent supportive housing on Jovenes’ campus and exploring different career pathways where I can make a difference in other young people’s lives. I often volunteer with Wall Las Memorias, and as I build my career, I hope to continue to be an advocate for the LGBTQ community through my story and passions.

Someone in my church, who I volunteered with to serve meals to the homeless, recommended I visit The Wellness Center in Los Angeles. At the Wellness Center I was set up with doctors and the Arthritis Foundation. I was told that if I underwent physical therapy, my growing body might be able to stop the effects of Scheuermann’s Disease and in some cases reverse the damage already caused. So, began my daily routine of physical therapy and exercise at The Wellness Center.

While I was going through my therapy, my family was undergoing a stressful situation in which we were facing possible eviction due to a complicated situation, which involved domestic violence.  My family and I had already lived in a shelter through my elementary and middle school years and I didn’t want us to have to do that again. Because I was already a regular at The Wellness Center I knew that they had different satellite offices dealing with a whole person’s care, this might include eviction prevention, housing emergencies, access to health insurance and domestic violence amongst many other services. My family was not yet at the point of eviction, but it was heading in that direction. I wanted to have a graceful landing for me and my family, so one day I walked up to the Jovenes, Inc. satellite office at The Wellness Center and I told them my family’s situation. Jovenes, Inc. helped us with eviction prevention until we were able to catch up with the rent and were able to remain in our apartment.

As a client of Jovenes, Inc. though not ever having been housed there, everyone got to know me and me them. They were able to see my talent and potential for working with their clients. At twenty-one, Jovenes, Inc. approached me for their Leadership Development Internship. This internship lasted three-months and it involved assistance with homelessness and client follow-up at the satellite office in The Wellness Center. I felt that Jovenes, Inc. had really gone out on a limb asking me to be part of this internship program. They usually ask clients who are in their transitional shelter, who are more stable to fulfill the requirements of the internship. But, me, I hadn’t even been at their shelters, yet they took a chance on me.

After the three months of the internship were finished, I was asked to come onboard to work the Jovenes, Inc. satellite office at The Wellness Center as a paid employee. My job at the satellite office requires me to interview the clients and determine, depending on their experience and how they got to the situation they’re at, what resources they need and are right for them. I help them with office skills, people skills, and teach them how to create resumes. When I help the clients with their resumes, I find it ironic that Jovenes, Inc., too, helped me to create a resume, which incidentally I ended up using to apply for a position with them.

Now, at twenty-three, after overcoming all the health challenges of my youth, I find myself working for the very same organization which helped me back then. I still have to take care of my body with continuous exercise, and I still have my days. Some days I still have a lot of pain, but it’s more manageable. I am also fortunate enough to work to be in The Wellness Center every day, which has now added acupuncture to their long list of services. On days when my pain is intense, I go down the hall to the acupuncture center and they fix me right up so I can continue my work with Jovenes.

Mentally, I feel I’ve accomplished a lot, but I also get overwhelmed at times. The work that I do with Jovenes, Inc. is empowering but challenging. A lot of people’s lives depend on how I assess their situation and the help I can provide for them. The work I do here, has also helped me see what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to dedicate myself to the Social Services aspect of Healthcare. It is a part of Healthcare that is very important and while being explored more these days, there is still a lot of work which needs to get done. How can you be healthy with no home?

I have come full circle in my life, thanks to the people of Jovenes, Inc. who always saw the potential in me. I have my health back—for the most part—and I have a steady job I love and I am proud of. I am also grateful to be in a position to help others, who face the challenges I have faced.

My family still lives in that Los Angeles apartment we almost got evicted from, but didn’t. Everyday, I try to do my daily exercise routines to maintain my health to be able to help others as others helped me.