KINSHIP is a powerful word in our work, especially when parents are not an option.

We found Benjamin* in April, surviving on the street by begging for handouts from people in cars he guided through parking lots. He hadn't seen his mom since he was a toddler. When is grandmother passed away, he couldn't bear to live with his father's addiction and abuse. He skipped between friends’ houses, but eventually ended up living on the street before he joined us a Shelter Yetu. As he worked through the rehabilitation program, social workers tracked down an aunt with a safe and welcoming home.

Everyone was smiling the day he moved into her home last month. Shelter staff helped him bond with the other children in the home, engaged neighbors, and guided his aunt to a nearby school to start enrollment. Follow-up visits reveal he is doing well with this "kinship" family! Thank you for playing your part in these success stories happening every week!

*At Shelter Yetu, we respect children's right to privacy. So while their stories are true, client names and images may have been changed to protect their privacy. Thank you for understanding.