How Water Found Her “Escape to Freedom”
Water at her high school graduation
Nineteen-year-old Water calls her apartment her "safe space." Her room is filled with houseplants, tapestries, and art she created herself. In the corner sits a vanity she saved up for, dedicated to practicing her cosmetology assignments as she works toward becoming a hairstylist. It's the first place she felt the independence and pride of building a life of her own.
The most meaningful part of Water's room is a small nook by her closet where she displays keepsakes honoring those who have stood with her. Lovingly strung across the wall are pictures of her siblings, photobooth strips with friends from high school, and letters from the teachers, caseworkers, and counselors who have championed her as she’s grown into the person she is today.
“Throughout my foster care journey, I have met tons of people who have helped me along the way,” Water reflects. "My experiences have made it clear that in order to thrive you need people in your corner who make you feel included, heard, and feel that they care about what you have to say.”
When she was 16, Water turned to her siblings and cousins to help her escape an unsafe home environment and enter foster care. In high school, teachers and counselors helped motivate her to push through challenges and graduate on time. And now, as Water begins adulthood, she's working with Boys & Girls Aid to build a life on her own terms.
“My experiences have made it clear that in order to thrive you need people in your corner who make you feel included, heard, and feel that they care about what you have to say.”
Water is part of Boys & Girls Aid's Compass program, a housing service for young adults ages 18 through 23 who are transitioning out of foster care. It's a place where young people like her can access safe and affordable housing, skill-building opportunities, and one-on-one staff support to help them step into adult life with the confidence and tools to succeed.
"Being in this program has been life changing for me,” Water shares. "It's felt like an opportunity to escape to freedom."
Water with her Boys & Girls Aid Housing Navigator, Lee
With the support of the Boys & Girls Aid team behind her, Compass is giving Water the safe space she needs to grow. She’s living in her own apartment, learning to prepare meals, figuring out how to live with a roommate, and picking up practical knowledge – like how to build credit and change a tire – through workshops led by community volunteers. Perhaps the most important skill Water has developed, however, is the courage to believe in herself.
"In the past, I was placed with a few foster parents that did not make me feel understood, heard, or trusted. This impacted my confidence as a young adult and made me feel stupid," she explains. "It has been a breath of fresh air to be able to be in control of my life for the first time and to have support if I make mistakes along the way.”
Today, Water's goals feel more within reach than ever, and she will be the first to tell you she didn't get to this point on her own. “I now understand that a supportive community is an environment where everyone feels valued, connected, and encouraged to grow.”
Your support of Boys & Girls Aid is what makes programs like the Compass possible. Every year in Oregon, nearly 700 young people like Water will age out of the foster care system. Without resources like the ones offered through Boys & Girls Aid, many youth will have nowhere to turn during one of the most critical moments of their lives.
Every young person deserves to grow up with a safe space to call home and a supportive community in their corner. Your tax-deductible gift to Boys & Girls Aid is a lasting investment in the lives of young people like Water. With your contribution, we can continue our work to ensure supportive connections and lifelong stability are within reach for the children and youth in our programs.