Taraj came to our Parramore campus feeling like he had run out of options. He was considering whether he should go back to prison, knowing that there he would be fed and clothed and not have to worry about paying rent that he could not afford.

"I felt like with my barriers, being a transgender man and an ex-foster kid in prison by 21, that I would not be able to get any help. CSC instantly accepted me, and their main concern was do I have somewhere to sleep tonight and if I don't, what can we do about it?"

After meeting with a CSC Case Manager, we were able to provide Taraj with move-in assistance and he is now in an apartment of his own where he can afford to pay rent.

"As of today, I can say that I am no longer homeless and I am not planning on being homeless, and I can finally heal and take care of my mental health. I used to say, the system is a setup for a letdown. I had no reunification after aging out of foster care. There was nothing and no one for me out here. If I don't pay my bills, I am on the street. In my case, one surgery caused a domino effect where I had lost everything I worked for. I cannot thank the Christian Service Center enough. There are no words to describe the feeling of being stable and having a place to sleep."