At 17, Matt’s world fell apart. His parents left him and his younger siblings; his siblings were able to be with other family members. Matt was suddenly left on his own. After weeks of couch-surfing with different friends, he found Mary’s Shelter. Matt took advantage of its Youth Empowerment Supportive Services (YESS), which is supported by United Way. Even though he experienced anxiety, which impacted him physically and emotionally, Matt was determined to remain in school and work to earn good grades.
Through the YESS program, Matt received counseling and participated in programming to help him work towards self-sufficiency. After graduating high school, Matt secured a full-time job and moved into his own apartment. He credits the United Way supported program with helping him regain his self-worth. Matt came into the program broken and defeated and left as a confident and capable young man.