Daniel Finds Hope in His Life
Daniel grew up without any guidance in his life. His family, all much older than him, didn’t provide him with any real support while growing up. “They seemed more concerned with the dog running out than me.” He says. As a result, he lived life like there was no tomorrow. He indulged in drugs and allowed his work in school to slide. Everything changed for him though the day he discovered that he was HIV positive.
“I wasn’t sure what to do.” He says. “I didn’t feel like I could tell my family and I didn’t know who to talk to about it.” He began to look into organizations that could assist him. Since his home life wasn’t supportive, it was recommended that he look into a transitional living program. Daniel says the first program he found wasn’t an ideal situation. “The place wasn’t very clean and I was the youngest person there.” He says. “I was around people that didn’t want to get their life together like I did.” It was at this time that he first heard about Covenant House.
Daniel went to Covenant House and discovered a dramatic difference. He says he liked the atmosphere immediately. “The first thing I noticed though was how clean everything was. Also, I wasn’t the youngest person there. I was around my peers for the first time.”
Things have also changed dramatically for Daniel since coming to Covenant House. “I had been working on job preparation at the shelter that I was at but it was barely happening there.” He says. “At Covenant House, I was putting together my first resume and making preparations to take the GED within the first week that I was here.”
Daniel’s attitude has changed too. “Before going to Covenant House, I had no confidence in myself, I pretty much would look in the mirror and just think about the fact that I was going to die.” Now, for the first time, he sees hope in his life. He has been sober for 6 months and has enrolled in school. “I feel like I’m going to make it and I feel like I’m going to be somebody all thanks to Covenant House."
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