Allen White and other residents of Journey Place, an independent living program for 18-to-21-year-olds aging out of foster care, describe how it teaches money management, cooking, and self-reliance. The program offers stability to young people who faced multiple placements and uncertainty, helping them avoid homelessness or incarceration.
I'm Allen White. This is Journey Place, my house. It's an independent living program. It's made for younger— young adults or young teenage guys from ages 18 to 21. It's basically to help manage money, independent living, how to cook, be on your own.
I'm in school. I was put into foster care at a very, very young age. I bounced from foster home to foster home. I was almost adopted at one time. That didn't go too well. And after I turned 18, I had nowhere else to go. Like, we have always had great support here.
I got into foster care at the age, I think, of 7 or 8. Because my parents, they were on drugs at the time. But now, this is like where I'm at now, it's a lot better than being in a foster home, I think, because it's more, I guess, you have more independence, I guess.
These kids a lot of times just don't have a chance, and I'm just so happy that we're here to help at least provide that opportunity, open the door for them, show them that there is a possibility for a bright future.
What happened to me, I would be I would be in either a facility such as a detention center or a jail, or I would be out in the street.
It's hope when you really need it.
