Success Stories

Lorenzo

Lorenzo left home at 11 and did not have a permanent place to call home for more than two decades. The first thing you figure out, Lorenzo shared, is how to keep out of the elements. If you are lucky, he continued, that's the worst thing you have to worry about -- but we know that many young runaways face other serious threats such as exploitation or chronic hunger. 

In Minnesota today, 1,286 youth ages 12 -21 are homeless each night, as are 3,250 children with their parents. Homelessness is cyclical: LIke Lorenzo, almost one-half (45 percent) of all homeless adults (18+) experienced homelessness before they were 21, and one-quarter (26 percent) before they were 18. Preventing youth and family homelessness will pay off in the future by reducing the numbers of homeless adults.

It took Lorenzo 25 years of being homeless and battling addiction to find a safe, permanent home at American House, a 69-unit building in the Lowertown area of St. Paul. American House also offers chemical dependency and mental health services by professional staff as well as the comforts of a private apartment with the companionship of a community of people who understand Lorenzo's story because they've been there too. He is grateful for the chance to build his life again, and he and Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation couldn't do it without your help.

Jordan

Jordan, a young man who lives at Nicollet Square, recently addressed more than 800 people at the 2011 Ending Homelessness Together luncheon held in a huge ballroom of a major downtown hotel. Perhaps surprisingly, he felt comfortable and at ease at the podium before the crowd -- all  of them strangers.

Growing up in foster care, Jordan explained, gave him a different perspective on strangers than that of other kids. When Jordan was six, he remembers being taken from his mother in a police car because she could no longer care for him.  It's been "strangers" who helped thim since that day when he was six years old. They've supported him, given him a home, helped him work towards his goals. Now they’ve helped him get an apartment of his own at Nicollet Square.

Jordan now has a safe, affordable apartment  plus help from onsite staff who offer personalized support to help him reach his goals.  He’s worked hard since moving in and is proud of securing a stable job he enjoys and is working towards a career in sports medicine. His experience is just one example of how Nicollet Square is making a significant difference to youth ages 16 and up who have been homeless or have aged out of the foster care system with no place to go.

At the end of the third quarter this year, Nicollet Square residents are exceeding most of our original goals for housing stability, employment and education. For example, we expected that 50 percent would obtain employment; in fact, 83 percent of the 41 young people have done so through the WorkFast program or unsubsidized, market rate employment. We also expected that 50 percent of those obtaining employment would retain their jobs for three months; 86 percent of those in unsubsidized employment have done so for six months.

With PCNF partners YouthLink and HIRED, we are able to offer safe, high-quality housing; supportive services to help residents become productive and pursue their educational and employment goals; and a community that makes housing Nicollet Square a home.

Markita

Markita grew up in daunting circumstances. Her mother was addicted to alcohol and drugs, and they didn’t have a stable home. At one point they stayed in an abandoned house with no utilities or locks on the doors. “I was so scared,” Markita recalled recently. While growing up, she spent time in and out of 30 foster homes. Today, Markita's no longer scared. Instead of living the nightmare of homelessness, she's pursuing her dreams from the security of her own home at Nicollet Square. Markita, above left, shared her story with more than 800 people who attended Ending Homelessness Together, PCNF 's annual fundraising luncheon. She expressed her thanks for the support and opportunities she's received at Nicollet Square. We at Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation and Families Moving Forward want to thank you too, for making it possible for Markita and all our tenants and families in emergency shelter to move from homelessness to home. You are making a difference in the movement to end homelessness.

Markita now works at Sam's Club and recently completed computer and nursing aide certifications. She pays rent for her apartment and is saving money for a car to make it easier to get to work.

We are pleased that Markita's story is just one example of how Nicollet Square is making a significant difference to youth ages 16 and up who have been homeless or have aged out of the foster care system with no place to go.

At the end of the third quarter this year, Nicollet Square residents are exceeding most of our original goals for housing stability, employment and education. For example, we expected that 50 percent would obtain employment; in fact, 83 percent of the 41 young people have done so through the WorkFast program or unsubsidized, market rate employment. We also expected that 50 percent of those obtaining employment would retain their jobs for three months; 86 percent of those in unsubsidized employment have done so for six months.

With PCNF partners YouthLink and HIRED, we are able to offer safe, high-quality housing; supportive services to help residents become productive and pursue their educational and employment goals; and a community that makes housing Nicollet Square a home.