Derrick: A Fresh Start

“My favorite movie is ‘Never Back Down,’” Derrick says with a look of determination. “It just tells me you’re gonna have challenges, but you face them. That’s what you do.” The title is fitting for the young man. Only 18 years-old, the formerly homeless teen has been through more in his short life than most of his peers.

His mother, disabled, had often struggled to care for him, and when she could no longer do so, Derrick found himself without a place to sleep. He rotated between the couches of family, friends, and acquaintances, and he counted down the days to his eighteenth birthday, when he would be legally independent. “I kept [my homelessness] a secret,” he says. “I don’t want pity. I promised myself to keep climbing – I knew I could do better.”

Looking Up, Looking Ahead

Six months later, Derrick has kept that promise. On his eighteenth birthday, he started calling shelters, looking for a place he could start fresh. He found Neon House, Heartland Alliance’s residential program for homeless youth. There, he’s learned budgeting, resume writing, and restarted his GED classes – not to mention securing a place to live. He’s also found a job that’s a good fit. It’s a far cry from where he was less than a year ago, but the driven young man isn’t done making plans for himself.

“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity where you know the next day you’ve got a bed,” he says. “You’ve got to take [the time at Heartland Alliance] seriously. Now I’ve really got something to work with.”

How You Can Help

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Heartland Alliance—the leading anti-poverty organization in the Midwest— believes that all of us deserve the opportunity to improve our lives. Each year, we help ensure this opportunity for nearly one million people around the world who are homeless, living in poverty, or seeking safety.

Please consider making a donation today to help others like Derrick.