Like all young people raised in foster care, Adrian* entered adult life without the support that those who have family receive. Having a home is a luxury, without a home it’s almost impossible to keep your job, without a support network you have no one to share your troubles with and no one to give you a piece of advice.
For him, however, all that changed when he found help in the income program supported by United Way. Born in a prison and immediately abandoned, Adrian grew up in orphanages and later in foster care. Although he tried to find his mother – until he was 10 years old he wrote letters to her at the address at which he had been registered – he never received a reply, so he resigned.
But he did not give up his desire to have a better life. He had ambition and studied, graduated high school and then a faculty, specializing in marketing. He was included in the integration program because his entry-level job, with a minimum wage, did not allow him to find stable housing. Through the program, he was primarily supported with social housing and coverage of the others basic needs (clothing/shoes, food, hygiene products etc.). Then, the young man attended vocational counseling sessions to maintain a job that would allow him support himself and become financially independent. He also attended psychological counseling sessions to overcome childhood trauma and fear of abandonment. It takes availability, discipline, will, patience and motivation and you will succeed in everything.” – is the creed of Adrian, who continues to work on his development.
*To protect his identity, we have changed the beneficiary’s name and we used a generic photo.
