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.

“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.

“Kerry’s” mom knew money was tight, but she wasn’t expecting to get evicted from her home. She took Kerry and their cats to live at a motel for a while. A few days became a week, and one week became several. The motel was small and Kerry felt her depression growing worse, so she left to start couch surfing and sleeping on the streets.

When Marley was kicked out of her home she was almost relieved -- it was her escape from years of abuse. She quickly faced new challenges on her own, though: poverty, anxiety, and homelessness. Now, Marley is a high school graduate. Learn how Second Story helped her get there.

Emmy's dad wanted the very best for his children, but he struggled to make ends meet and his job kept him away from home a lot. Emmy and her younger brother missed him and spent a lot of time alone, until they found the Safe Youth Project.

When “Robert” graduated from Second Story for Homeless Youth he felt grateful for the counseling, guidance and help finding a stable place to live. But something stood out even more: he was grateful to know that Second Story staff believed in him, something he hadn’t felt before from the people in his life.

"Sam" never had a great living situation growing up, and things got even worse when he was kicked out at 18. For about a year, he crashed on friends' couches and found other temporary places to live. Eventually, he found Second Story. With our help, he was able to graduate on time and is now pursuing higher education.

“Henry” came to the shelter after running away several times from his foster family’s home. When Henry turned 18 he would have nowhere to go. Rather than planning on applying for a program like Second Story for Homeless Youth, staff at the Emergency Shelter for Teenagers tried to prepare Henry for a self-sufficient adulthood.

“Mercedes” started coming to the Teen Center in Culmore last year and usually arrived frustrated and discouraged. She had even gotten an F in English. Now, she has raised her grade up to a B and has a safe place to go after school.

One day, after a huge fight with her mom, sixteen year old “Kate” decided to run away. She ended up far away from the stress at home, but when she found another place to stay she realized it was far more dangerous than what she had left.

“Marie’s” parents kicked her out right after she turned 18. Marie was still young, unable to afford rent or find a full time job on her own, and she had no idea where to go.