YouthHope Foundation | PO Box 7803 Redlands, CA 92375 US
2026 Stories
Chasity’s Story, From A Walk in Their Shoes
When I was 8 an Aunt took me in. She had so many kids, all boys. She worked and I stayed home with my cousins after school. One day my oldest cousin took me into the bathroom and raped me. He threatened to kill me if I told, but he didn’t have to say anything. I know how to keep a secret.
This was my normal for a while but I started getting into fights with my younger cousins. If they said something I didn’t like I would hit them with whatever I could get a hold of. I would scratch, bite, kick, and the funny thing was that I didn’t even know what I was doing until it was already over.
I stayed at that house for a while but when I bit one of my cousins face my Aunt sent me to live with another family member.
I bounced from relative to relative.
I was the model student, perfect grades, always the quiet one… except when it came to fighting. In my head, fighting was surviving. I fought students, family, I just fought the whole world. .
I eventually got expelled and ended up in Barbara Phelps. I heard some kids talking about YouthHope giving Shoes for Christmas. I went and signed up for shoes but I never went back. They looked me in the eye and asked me real questions. It felt… wrong.
I got a boyfriend and moved in with him and I made it through the next year of school and graduated. Then I ended up on probation for a fight and, on the list for community service, there it was again—YouthHope. This time, I had to go back.
I came on my first day to do my hours. At the end of the day, Judy told me I did a great job and asked me if I needed anything. She just gave me groceries and a new pair of shoes and she didn’t even ask me for anything. Each day I came in someone would say something nice to me and ask what I needed.
On my last day of community service Heidi asked me to come into her office. We sat down and she said, “Hey, do you want to tell me a little bit about what’s going on in your life?” and for some reason, I just started crying …and crying….and then I couldn’t stop crying. I told her everything that made me dark and disgusting.
Somehow, she wasn’t disgusted by me, and she didn’t hate me, and didn’t tell me to leave. She gave me hope and talked to me like a person. For once, someone saw me, as broken as I was—and still, somehow, wanted to help me. She offered counseling. I refused. I was too tired to face anything else. But I thought about it and I talked to my boyfriend, and a week later, I came back.
I passed my Food Handlers test with a perfect score, and for the first time, people told me they were proud of me. Proud of me? It’s a weird feeling. They helped me write a resume. They are helping me plan my future. And for once, I think maybe I can be something more. I can heal. I guess this is what hope feels like.
Respect
At YouthHope, we have youth of every background. We have a diverse group of youth. We have youth who go to school, and youth who don’t. We have youth who have parents at home, and we have youth with parents in jail. We have youth that have experienced death and trauma, and other youth who still have their innocence.
When you put all of those youth in a building every day, there are bound to be situations that happen. People get offended and hurt because of something that was done or said. Some youth don’t understand common courtesy and will say offensive things either on purpose or on accident.
This is one of the reasons we started our Skills Class to teach youth about how to respect other people’s cultures, backgrounds, and sensitive information, but sometimes our youth are really good at teaching each other through mutual respect.
John came into YouthHope talking loud with his friends about things that would bother most people
Another youth , Steve, who heard what John was saying got offended and let YouthHope staff know. Heidi took this opportunity to see if they could learn from one another instead of turning into enemies.
Heidi asked Steve if he would be willing to sit down with John and have a conversation and let John know why it was hateful and very hurtful.
John and Steve sat down and Steve got to explain why he got offended and John listened with open ears and an open heart to Steve.
At the end of the day, each youth got to tell their side of the story and got to share their lived experiences with each other. It opened their eyes to how different people react to different things. How the way we were raised changes our outlook on life. They left the meeting with handshakes and smiles.
It made us realize that if everyone took the time to understand the people that offend them, sit with them, and have open conversation, the world would be a much brighter place. Take some time to understand people this week.
From The Streets To Success
I was born into poverty.
As a young kid, we barely made it each month. I didn’t get to live like normal kids, because we didn't have any money. My parents tried their best, but their jobs just didn’t pay like others.
Living with parents who worked a lot, meant that I was home alone and would wander the streets most of the day. This meant that I started getting in trouble early on in my life.
By the time I was a teenager, I was a drug addict. This continued into my early adult years. My parents kicked me out because of my drug use and I became homeless. I don’t blame anyone for the choices I made.
I started coming to YouthHope when I was homeless. They would help me with food and clothes and new socks when mine would get destroyed living on the streets.
They would encourage me to get off drugs and choose a healthier lifestyle. They helped me finish high school and they were there when I graduated.
One day I woke up wet from the rain, hungry from being on the streets and decided I was done.
That day I signed up to go UTI to become a welder. I started couch surfing while I was in school. It wasn't easy, but I am now a full time welder.
I have been able to save enough money that I just got my first apartment and I move in next week.
None of this would have happened without the continuous support from YouthHope. They are my family and have been there for me at my lowest and at my highest.
I’m so proud of myself and know that I can do anything that I set my mind to!
