A Rite of Passage

Staff at our Kindred Connections Program recently became involved with a family with four children who needed a place to live.

They were staying with a grandparent. However, they had received several ultimatums about needing to move out. The last straw was when their teenage son stole something from his grandfather. The mother was able to find respite shelter for her son with a family member; concurrently our Case Manager located an affordable apartment. We connected the family with resources for first month’s rent and security deposit. We provided in-home family counseling to stabilize the situation. The son’s stealing episode had almost caused the parents to kick him out on the street. Our counselor has worked with the family to develop a sense of security. The following scene was witnessed at our agency’s Rites of Passage graduation: the young man had participated in the program and was given a rose to give to an elder who had made a positive difference in his life. He strode confidently down the aisle to his mother whose countenance held both joy and pride.