Adrienne’s Journey A Freeport West Success Story

Homeless since age 16, Adrienne was a familiar face in the youth services network. She had bounced between youth shelters, frequented drop-ins, slept on floors, and even spent a night in a closet—all while holding down a job, as she proudly notes. Wearied by her precarious situation, she desperately wanted a place to call home.

By 18, Adrienne had twice applied to the Transitional Living Program (TLP) at Freeport West, a program to help homeless youth find their own apartments and begin developing the skills to keep them. Because she had an unpredictable temperament that led to outbursts of anger and frustration, the staff felt she lacked the maturity to succeed in TLP, and her applications were denied. Nevertheless, Freeport continued to support Adrienne, helping her to explore other housing options and complete our Life Skills program.

At 20, Adrienne, on the verge of losing hope, applied to TLP for a third time. Awaiting the decision, her face revealed a quiet sense of defeat, knowing, in her own words, she was “older and had more to lose.” The Freeport staff also realized she had exhausted her options and felt it was now or never to give her the chance in TLP she wanted.

Face-to -face encounters with Adrienne, in her fragile state, often started with high anxiety and ended in tears. After being accepted into TLP, her case manager took her to lunch—what happened at this meeting was monumental. Given all the time she needed to share her thoughts and feelings, Adrienne spoke about her family and friends, her triumphs and defeats, where
she was in her life, and where she hoped the new program would take her. Her case manager challenged her to keep defining her goals and to tell the Freeport staff exactly how they could help her achieve them.

At their next meeting, Adrienne explained she wanted to change everything! Finding a place to live was her primary goal, but she also wanted to address her family dynamics, education and her own emotional health. Given the big issues she was ready to address, her case manager felt she would need more contact than was typical, and drew up a plan that had Adrienne meeting with staff two or three times a week.

With that crucial support in place, Adrienne began tackling the items on her list. She aggressively searched for, and secured, a studio apartment. Assisted by the Freeport staff, she looked for a better job, and within a few months she was working for the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, providing after-school childcare. Meanwhile, her case manager helped her connect with a health professional and together, they began addressing the emotional and behavioral barriers that might otherwise stand between Adrienne and a better life.

At her one-year TLP check-in with Freeport West staff, Adrienne appeared to have mastered the skills she needed to maintain her job and her apartment, had reached out to establish a positive connection with her family and had made significant strides toward becoming emotionally strong. At this meeting, she let her Freeport team know she wanted to attend college!

Today, Adrienne is a student at University of Phoenix. She hopes someday to own and manage a small shopping mall. Her network of support at Freeport West is intact, and we continue to be a resource and touchstone as she navigates her life today.