When Timothy entered foster care at 12 years old, he didn’t know where his life was headed. His chaotic past had left him with trauma, a fear of the future, and uncertainty of the unknown.
“I was lost, I didn’t know what to do and didn’t have any guidance or support,” said Timothy. “You’re so used to bad situations, you can’t see anything else. You feel like you’re going to be stuck there forever and don’t know if you’ll find anything good in your life.”
What Timothy didn’t know at that time was that people would show up for him who cared about him and wanted the best for him. DePaul’s Independent Living Program welcomed Timothy with open arms, ready to help him navigate life after foster care and plan for the bright future he deserved.
“They’re guiding me on a good path … they’ve been really helpful, just amazing to me,” said Timothy. “I don’t really know where I would be without the program.”
While he’s been in the program, Timothy has learned life skills like budgeting and taking care of his apartment. He got his driver’s license and purchased a car. He’s hoping to attend college and study business management.
“I’ve grown a lot,” said Timothy. “I had a lot of anger issues. I felt like what I went through messed me up, but I think I’ve changed and matured and I’m happier.”
Timothy knows it is the people and the program who showed up for him that made this growth possible. One of those people is Vicki, who met Timothy through short-term care and made a lifelong connection with him. Short-term care through DePaul gives foster youth a safe place to stay if their foster parents need to travel, get medical care, or just take a break and recharge.
“He just felt like part of our family and we trusted each other from the very beginning,” said Vicki. “We just wanted him to know that he had somebody he could call, somebody he could depend on, somebody that cared about him.”
Since that first meeting, Vicki and her family have continued to show up for Timothy, attending his high school graduation, celebrating holidays together, and sometimes simply sitting down at the dinner table for a shared meal and conversation. Vicki has loved watching Timothy flourish and find hope and a vision for his future.
“I’m just so thankful and so happy about how her family has welcomed me,” said Timothy.
“As long as he wants us to be, we are going to be part of his life,” said Vicki.