Becoming the Mom She Wishes She Had: Sapphie’s Story
Last Updated: 25 Apr 2022
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Homeless youth deserve a second chance. Young people like Sapphie remind us why we’re setting our sights on the next generation.
From the time she was very young, Sapphie learned to fend for herself.
“My mother worked about three or four jobs while raising seven kids alone while my dad was in and out of jail,” she said. “Unfortunately, it became too much for her and she turned to drugs.”
It wasn’t long before the addiction caught up with Sapphie’s mom.
“I remember when I was a kid and CPS and police officers knocked on our door late at night. I saw the fear in my mother’s eyes, and I knew we weren’t going to stay with her that night. I was only about six or seven at the time. My youngest brother was just one year old.”
The police escorted Sapphie’s mom out in handcuffs, and the kids were placed in foster care, where they stayed for years until they were finally separated and adopted by different families.
“We were in and out of foster homes six or seven times,” said Sapphie. “It was pretty difficult.”
A Harsh Reality Sets In
However, when she was eventually adopted and placed in a new home, the trials continued. In her new home and phase of life, Sapphie struggled to get along with her adopted mother.
“[My adopted mom] was never a person I could talk to. She held me to these standards I could never attain—she never really saw me.”
As she tried and failed to please her adopted parents, she began suffering from depression, which led to regular self-harm and several suicide attempts.
“[My adopted mom] tried to fix me by making me do what she wanted, but that was never what I wanted. Then, she turned to scare tactics. At that point, I was 18, and I realized it was time for me to go.”
Soon after leaving her adopted family’s house, Sapphie discovered she was pregnant. She had struggled with mother figures all her life—she knew she wanted to be a stable, nurturing parent to her beloved child, even before it was born.
New Life on the Horizon
She called a homeless hotline, and they pointed her to Endeavors.
“They said, oh, there’s this program called Youth Resiliency Project (YRP). I didn’t even really know what it was until I met with my case manager and she explained the entire thing. She explained the program, and I was really impressed.”
Through the Youth Resiliency Project (YRP), our case managers work one-on-one with the young people to find permanent housing and provide access to important services like mental health counseling, parenting education, employment assistance, educational services, life skills training, mentorship, childcare, as well as basic needs such as food, clothing, and medical care.
Within a month, Sapphie’s case manager, Ginny Contreras, found housing for her. But the help didn’t stop there—we believe in helping from a holistic point of view, connecting clients with mental and physical health care.
“I am going through counseling. I am going to see a psychiatrist, and I’m just getting the help that I need due to my past and stuff that still triggers me. So it’s been, she has been really helpful.”
A Bright Future
We’ve also been working to help Sapphie get her high school diploma. She has big dreams for her future.
“I do want to go to college,” said Sapphie. “It’s been my life’s plan since I was 12.”
Thanks to all her hard work, Sapphie feels like she’s on track to becoming the mother she wants to be for her child…and the new one on the way.
Ginny Contreras, her case manager, believes she’ll achieve these dreams.
“She’s always willing to try something new,” said Ginny. “She’s been so open to all the avenues of care. She really wants to make her life and her child’s life better. She doesn’t give up. She’s willing to try anything to get where she wants to go.”
How You Can Help
Want to get involved? Many of our clients come to us with little to no personal belongings. We are in need of supplies to best serve those in our care, and you can help! Click here to learn about our supportive housing programs and donate to those in need—from monetary donations to shampoo and conditioner to Tupperware to interview clothes. You can also head to our Amazon Housing Item Drive to donate specific items.
About Endeavors
Endeavors is a longstanding national non-profit that provides an array of programs and services in support of children, families, Veterans, and those struggling with mental illness and other disabilities. Endeavors serves vulnerable people in crisis through innovative personalized services. For more information, please visit www.endeavors.org.