Our Second Stories

The Second Stories podcast is dedicated to telling stories of people who had first stories full of hardship and hopelessness, yet were able to change the narrative and write their own second story. Their stories of resilience and hope, but also tributes to the people and experiences and organizations that made it possible for them to start again.

After hearing her family use hurtful language about the LGBTQ+ community, home became a hard place for LGBTQ+ youth like Shannon. Struggling with her sexual identity, Shannon came to Second Story to find herself and a way to be comfortable with her family.

With a new remote reality, youth like "Mateo" are navigating what this new normal will look like -- sometimes with personal and family challenges. With rent due, cut hours, and funding gaps, we are not only working harder to ensure that youth needs are met but also their family.

Even with the added hurdles presented by this past year, many of the youth in our programs, like “Ashley,” are still achieving some of their biggest goals!

This year we’ve been coordinating more than ever with teachers and schools to ensure that the needs of the youth like Baxter's are met.

Amidst the challenges and interruptions of COVID-19, many youth like “Calla” are still reaching milestones and achieving self-sufficiency. 

After being kicked out by her mom and fleeing a friend's house because of domestic violence, Kelly and her daughter ended up in a homeless shelter. Homeless shelters can pose additional challenges during a crisis like COVID-19, so Kelly was referred to Second Story for Young Mothers. Now she is safe, supported, and on her way to self-sufficiency.

Asha was making strides in our program when her hours were cut as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s doing her best to keep up with her bills, but the decrease in income has hit her hard. Second Story is increasing our rent support for her and bringing her food and other supplies weekly. We’re committed to helping her and the other youth in our programs get through this.

“Cyrus” has been receiving support from Second Story through our Rapid Re-Housing Initiative, which is a part of Second Story for Homeless Youth, and got laid off in February from his job at a movie theater. Much of his progress was interrupted by the pandemic. We're working to encourage and support Cyrus through the frustration, and are doing what we can to help him move toward self-sufficiency even in this new circumstances.

When Miriam turned 18 she was eager to have some freedom, but things didn't turn out like she had intended - she dropped out of college and became pregnant. To Miriam’s shock, just weeks after she gave birth to her daughter, her parents kicked her out of their home. She spent some time at a homeless shelter before she was introduced to Second Story.

“I don’t think I could have made it out of the shelter without Second Story’s help,” “Melody” reflected. In fiscal year 2019, Second Story provided housing, counseling, and support to 32 young families like Melody and their 47 children.

Danica had a tense childhood, marked with abandonment and instability. One day, she decided to run away, only to be met with more hurt and betrayal. Danica's grandmother stepped in to take care of her, but before Danica moved in she knew Danica needed help to work through her experiences, so she took her to Second Story for Teens in Crisis.

Abel and Tiffany share how Second Story in the Community and Second Story for Homeless Youth changed their lives.

From an outsider’s perspective it looked like “Santiago” was simply a rebellious kid. At Second Story for Teens in Crisis, however, counselors worked on getting to know him and learning why he was acting out. He opened up and the counselors were there for him, helping him rewrite the narrative for his future.  

When Timothy began attending Second Story's Safe Youth Project he was struggling in school. The program coordinator worked to tutor him in the subjects he found especially challenging, and at the end of the school year he won an award for his hard work and progress!

"Desiree" became a mom when she was very young. She wished she could provide more for her daughter, but she still had big dreams for the future of her family - she just wasn't sure how to get there until she found Second Story for Young Mothers.