From Instability to a Life of Service

I’m in my 40’s married to a wonderful man, and we have three great kids. They have such a depth of perspective and kindness that it’s difficult to imagine that things could’ve been very different for them.

It’s hard to see it now; when you look at me and my family, or when I tell you I’m a Family Medicine Hospitalist, or that I taught high school in Los Angeles for 8 years…but once upon a time, I was a scared, angry, homeless teenager in Hollywood.

What changed everything was a community of caring staff members and private donors who helped me reach for a different dream.

Searching for Safety

When I first came to Hollywood, I was a naive 13-year-old from North Carolina. I bounced between foster homes, programs, and back home with my family until I was 16. By then, I was older, street-smart, and deeply distrustful of adults. I’d been hurt by too many people who were supposed to help me.

When I wasn’t in a shelter, I slept in lifeguard towers in Santa Monica, in squats, in front of the Pantages Theater, or at strangers’ houses. By 18, I thought I was finally making progress — I had a job, started community college classes, and moved into my own studio apartment. But when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, everything unraveled.

At six months pregnant, I had to quit my job and found myself moving from place to place. It was an unstable and frightening time.

Impact by the Numbers

When I first came to My Friend’s Place, there wasn’t a parent program, but staff and supporters worked together to fill the gaps. Their support changed my future — and my children’s future. Today, this kind of support continues through the parenting support My Friend’s Place provides young people:

• 1,245 young people served each year with compassionate support
• 23 young parents provided with parenting support this year
• Essentials provided to young parents like formula, diapers, and car seats that make all the difference

I remember my pregnancy forcing me to finally ask for help — and My Friend’s Place was there every step of the way. They threw me a baby shower, brought formula when I couldn’t afford it, visited me in the hospital, and helped me into the YWCA program so I could have affordable housing.

When I saw my daughter for the first time, I realized I needed to be somebody better for her. With My Friend’s Place’s support, I transferred from community college to UCLA and earned my BA in Sociology. Later, they helped me with my teaching credential by covering the cost of licensing exams.

That support gave me the foundation I needed to become a teacher — then a medical student, and now a Family Medicine Hospitalist.