Journeys of Hope, Inc.  

Bill became homeless when his mother, who faces drug addiction, could no longer take care of him, forcing him to leave home. At the time he became homeless; he was attending North Shore Community College, was unemployed, and had no source of income. Our staff has worked one on one with Bill to identify the obstacles he faces towards a more fulfilling life. Through ongoing mentoring and counseling with Bill, he now has two part time jobs and has moved from the shelter he had been staying at for several months and into an apartment with a friend. We continue to counsel Bill and gain his trust so that he feels more comfortable talking about the challenges he faces, the abuse he has suffered, and the emotions that overwhelm him.

When Lisa was 20, she was attending a private college to become a medical office assistant and was on the deans list. Unfortunately, Lisa’s mother, who faces significant illness herself, forced Lisa to leave home. Despite her dire homeless situation, Lisa continued to attend classes and was able excel academically. When school administrators discovered she was homeless, she was dismissed due to the lack of stable living situation. JOH advocated for Lisa, educated her on her rights as a student and coached her for her meeting at the school. Lisa was reinstated and continues to excel in her studies. Lisa also found employment on the weekends.  At JOH, we continue to help Lisa and are confident she will continue to successfully transition into adulthood.

Faced with border line mental retardation and low I.Q., Tammy was in great need of services from the Department of Mental Health when we first met her. We assisted Tammy in applying for mental health assistance by helping her with her application, obtaining access to her records and history, medical help, and help with managing her mental health medications. When Tammy began working with Journeys of Hope, she had just been asked to leave the homeless shelter she had been staying at due to anti–social behavior. After 30 days, Tammy was allowed to return to the shelter as she had taken strides towards counseling, obtaining appropriate medications, coping strategies, and healthier, more appropriate socialization with her peers at the shelter. Tammy will likely be in need of services for the rest of her life, and JOH is helping to identify other resources which will provide a continuation of her care.

Once Roger turned eighteen, he aged out of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) group home where he had been living.  Roger was able to find employment and an apartment, and he stepped into the world of adulthood. Unfortunately, he lost his job and his apartment soon after when he could no longer pay the rent. Roger became homeless. As a first step, we helped Roger get a copy of his high school diploma, which he did not realize he had earned. We also connected Roger to the Massachusetts Rehabilitation agency and is enrolled in an automotive vocational training, which he is set to start in fall of 2010.  Because we are working with him, DCF agreed to provide him with transitional housing, where he will have instruction and supervision.