Albert Strives for Independence

“I want to learn to be independent.” Albert says as he grins with pride. And when speaking to him, you get the impression that he’s well on his way to accomplishing his goal. This 20 year old of Covenant House youth doesn’t just talk about getting his own place, he talks about his dreams of owning his own home and having a 401k.

When he turned 18, Albert felt he was at a turning point in his life. His foster parents were no longer receiving assistance to help pay for Albert’s living expenses. He knew it was time to take on some responsibility for his life. Albert chose to move out of his foster parents’ home and stay wherever he could while he looked for work.

Albert eventually found work in Los Angeles but soon found that he had also exacerbated his options for places to stay. He was anxious to continue working but without any type of home, it was quickly becoming difficult. Albert began to explore the possibility of a staying at a shelter. “A friend at work first told me about Covenant House California (CHC) and then I talked to some kids on the street and they all had good things to say about it too.” Having heard so many positive things about Covenant House, Albert contacted one of CHC’s outreach workers and was soon admitted into the program.

He says that CHC has been great for him. “the program has rules but you have to have rules in life. You learn responsibility by doing chores. Its exactly what I was looking for.”

Now Albert has a chance to build on his lofty dreams. He has continued to work and created a savings account for buying a home one day. He is confident that he’ll accomplish his dream too. He says he knows that his life is still on a bit of a “slippery slope” but he also says “as long as I have a place to sleep and eat, I have a chance, And as long as I have CHC I have that chance.”

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