Ashley, Female – 18 y/o

Ashley was used to being responsible to no one but herself. At thirteen she ran away from the group home where she had been placed and began living with an older boyfriend and started using drugs.

At eighteen, Ashley left that life, hoping to make a change. Ashley had dreams of becoming a vocational nurse and her social worker referred her to VIP for help. Our case managers worked with Ashley to get information on getting her GED and helped her look for employment opportunities. Although Ashley was motivated to accomplish these goals in order to pursue her dream, she struggled with overwhelming with bouts of hopelessness that left her off track.

During one of these episodes, Ashley reunited with her boyfriend, who had gang affiliations, but two weeks later, he was shot. Ashley found her motivation evaporating. No longer looking for work, she began missing her appointments at VIP. At her final appointment, Ashley came back. She wanted to try again because VIP was a place where she felt she could get help.

Although Ashley cared about her grandparents and her little sister, often taking care of them financially, she still needed to learn to take care of herself. Thanks to your commitment to youth like Ashley, VIP has been a source of safety and hope on the complicated road she travels out of the trauma of her past.