The Stories
Full-time Student - Jerrick
Making His Aunt Proud
Jerrick never knew his dad; and his mom, who suffered from mental illness, died when he was seven. His beloved Aunt Pat raised him from infancy. The stabilizing force in his life, she taught him right from wrong and encouraged him to make something of himself. Jerrick's world was shattered when his aunt was tragically killed while crossing the street in their Tampa neighborhood. The grieving 17-year-old was left to fend for himself with no guardian or permanent place to live.
Life Before Homelessness
Jerrick's aunt had always stressed the value of hard work. A nurse, she sheltered him from their other relatives who were unemployed, used illegal drugs and lived in dangerous neighborhoods. Aunt Pat warned him against falling victim to a life of crime, and she was relieved he stayed out of trouble. One of Jerrick's most cherished memories is of seeing the proud look on his aunt's face when he brought home his first paycheck. She insisted he put the money aside to save for a car.
Through his aunt's influence, Jerrick grew to be a kind and fun-loving teenager. He enjoyed his after-school job and played on his school's football team. Yet Jerrick's reading and writing skills were significantly delayed and he relied on his charming personality to get by in school. He had somehow been promoted year after year to the next grade even though he couldn't read or write. Aunt Pat worried about his learning disability and did what she could to help. Jerrick's future as an illiterate man looked grim.
Life Without A Home
Following his aunt's death, Jerrick moved in with an uncle. He slept on a couch for a short time, but space was tight and their relationship was strained. Jerrick's half-sister agreed to take him in, but that too was short-lived. She had young children and financial troubles of her own. With nowhere else to go, he was forced to stay with the very family members Aunt Pat had always kept at bay.
Jerrick lived with a cousin and seven other people for several stressful months in a cramped, rundown house near Ybor City. He slept on a dirty floor, rarely got a hot shower and on cold nights turned on the stove to stay warm. He drank cold medicine in order to sleep, which kept him from using other drugs that were readily available. Jerrick began sleeping in his car for fear of being caught in a police drug raid and to avoid the distinctively burnt smell of crack cocaine. Still devastated over Aunt Pat's death, he felt hopeless and often contemplated suicide.
Despite a lack of parental supervision, Jerrick continued to work and attend school during his senior year because he knew his aunt would have wanted him to. Jerrick thought about joining the Army, but the recruiter told him that he couldn’t enlist without being able to read and write. He was desperate for help and had little hope of graduating from high school.
Jerrick reached out to his favorite teachers who were eager to keep him from slipping through the cracks. They rallied around him and offered whatever assistance they could. One teacher, who taught Jerrick in the eighth grade and knew his Aunt Pat, tried to find permanent housing for him. When her search yielded nothing, she generously welcomed him into her home. In addition, a school social worker who helps homeless students arranged for Jerrick to get a state-funded scholarship, and he enrolled in a private school for students with learning disabilities.
Life Now
It’s been nearly two years since Jerrick moved in with his former teacher, and the two have become like family. She helps him study and teaches him the life skills he will need once he’s out on his own, like cooking and budgeting. He feels safe and is grateful to once again have a bed and a roof over his head. Jerrick works full-time and still attends the private school where has learned how to read and write. He is on target to graduate from the private school with a GED and plans to attend community college for two years before joining the military. Jerrick's goal is to one day have a home and family of his own, accomplishments that would make Aunt Pat proud.
