Trigger Warnings: Please note that the following reviews will contain information about sexual assault, sex trafficking, drug and alcohol abuse, and self harm.
Kevin Ryan and Tina Kelley’s Almost Home: Helping Kids Move from Homelessness to Hope familiarizes us with the life stories of six young people, who felt a lack of belonging at certain phases in their lives. It places emphasis on the various struggles they went through in early childhood and adolescence, and how they used the lessons learned to better themselves. Covenant House (a charity that looks after the well-being of homeless and trafficked youth) played a massive role in their improvement. The issues that this non-fiction sheds light on include family violence, prostitution, teen parenthood, rejection based on sexual orientation, and aging out of foster care without a family. In addition to the heartbreaking yet inspirational stories from the youth, the book reveals a set of alarming statistics with regards to the issues, making it all the more important to raise awareness about homelessness and the dangers affiliated with it.
Chapters 1 & 2: Review Written by Zuairia Shahrin
The first chapter of the book gives us an insight into Paulie Robbins’ life. Paulie was adopted by Hank and Tiffany. Hank, Paulie’s adoptive father, was a crab fisherman, who used to go out to the sea for work. His absence was described as a “mixed blessing” in the sense that outdoors, Hank was full of joy and bliss. However, when indoors, the family often witnessed the most unpleasant sides of him. One day after a fight, Tiffany decided to part ways with Hank, who had left the trailer at the fit of rage, and start a life with Ben, whom she met online. Observing that Ben was the complete opposite of Hank, and that he effortlessly entered Tiffany’s life made Paulie skeptical. It was not until Ben had to go back home to Alberta, due to the death of his estranged wife, that Tiffany made up her mind to move in with him. Because of this decision, Paulie and his little sister Casey spent several weeks with their friends. After coming to know about all this, Hank convinced Casey to live with him while Paulie chose Tiffany.
Until he could move to Alberta with Tiffany and Ben, Paulie had to live with a friend of Tiffany’s, where he was exposed to a wide range of substances that led his life to spiral downwards. As his experimentation with drugs progressed, his anger -management issues escalated, leading him to be expelled from school. When moving to Canada after that, Paulie noticed how well Tiffany had fit in with Ben’s family, and how he was no match for them. Feeling out of place, and like a “houseguest”, he continued taking drugs in larger doses. His behavior completely transformed for the worse, and he wanted to go back to Hank. This compelled Tiffany to turn him to the police, and him having the ugliest fight with Hank. His involvement with drugs finally sent him to Covenant House, where he had Mildred Mack as his primary counselor.
As a disheartened Paulie complained about feelings of abandonment, family violence and the longing of a birth mother he never met, Mildred was certain that he was in need of serious counseling. Mildred kept pushing Paulie to improve his life by completing his high school diploma and finding a suitable part-time job, but Paulie kept on ignoring her. He left the shelter, went back to Hank and got beaten, made his way back to drugs, and then went back again to the shelter – this repeated several times. Covenant House even eased restrictions for him to support him more, but that also did not help, and Paulie fled. When he went back to the shelter yet again at the age of nineteen, he was much changed – he had his high school diploma. Though not fully willingly yet, Paulie started paying heed to Mildred’s words and owned up to his mistakes. He worked two jobs, made a career in kickboxing and overcame drug abuse.
The second chapter demonstrated how family violence can negatively affect young minds, to the extent that it leads them to drug abuse. It further highlights how young people, when not in touch with their sense of belonging with the people around them, can feel as though they do not belong anywhere, when in fact that is untrue. Feeling a sense of belonging is as important as having security; being one of the necessities that a human cannot survive without emotionally, it has the potential to determine what choices they make in their lives. When this very feeling is snatched away from them, at no fault of their own, they are bound to feel abandoned. However, Paulie’s transformation from being a drug addict to having a stable, disciplined life is remarkable, and sets an example that, with the right kind of support and willpower, homeless youth can also make a life for themselves that they admire.
This chapter zooms into Muriel’s life, who was born in Manila, Philippines, and was adopted by a Canadian family. Her birth mother had nine children and was not able to fend for her, and she suffered from malnourishment and intestinal parasites. However, she was beautiful, and by nature, wild. This was not common for her adoptive parents. Barely seeing her adoptive father, she thought he left the family because of her, and saw how different she was from her brothers. While her mother tried to make her more graceful, she could barely sit still anywhere. As she grew older, Muriel started becoming more rebellious. The fact that she was different from her family was not taken well by her, and she was sent to the Philippines to spend some time with her biological family. As she dreaded her time in the Philippines and was longing to go back to Canada, she became more depressed. When she went back to Canada, it was pretty clear to her family that Muriel had not changed at all. She continued with substance abuse, and even cut herself.
Feeling as though she was unworthy of feeling any happiness, she lost herself in drugs, which also invited other troubles into her life. Before she realised it, she was drawn into the world of sex trafficking. She was desperate for drugs, which came with a huge sum of money – money that was easily available if she worked for pimps. Her mother sent her to a rehabilitation center, but she got expelled and landed in Covenant House. Within a month and a half, a fight with her mother caused her to leave the shelter and enter the escort business. A friend of hers introduced her to a pimp, who gave her GHB (a date rape drug) with cocaine, which she craved, and lured her. The pimp made her work for several men who exploited her body in all sorts of unimaginable ways.
Three months later when Muriel returned to Covenant House, she was more scared than ever. Her pimp posed various threats, scarring her mind to the extent where she was not addressing her addiction and drug problems, until she met Crystal, who she knew from a safe house she stayed at some time ago. She could relate to Crystal more than she could to anyone else in the shelter, and opened up to her about how pimps treat young girls. She revealed that she felt a desperate need to earn money from glamorous parties where she was forced to work, while also taking drugs which helped her detach from her pain. Though talking to Crystal took a lot of weight off Muriel’s chest, it was not enough to cure her. She was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which impaired her mind from making sensible decisions. It provided a perfectly valid explanation for her actions, but Muriel was unable to accept the truth. To further it, her mother’s reluctance to invite her back home pierced her mind even more.
Soon after, Muriel decided to go back to the escort business as she did not know if she was ready to give up the drugs and the money. Once again, she was exploited in numerous different ways. Her pimp invaded her private life, kept her on a strict diet, not letting her sleep until she had turned a trick, constantly drugging her with GHP and compelling her to do everything she did not want to do. Muriel saw a friend of hers turn more distrustful as she worked in the escort business, and finally realized the damaging counterparts of the job. Leaving prostitution for good this time, she went back to Covenant House and took steps to recover from addiction, complete her high school education and become a ballerina.
This chapter shed light on how young women have been trafficked in the past, and how sex trafficking still persists today. As a young woman myself, reading Muriel’s story shattered my heart. I cannot imagine myself in such a position, and never want to see another woman suffering like this. The mere thought of a young woman’s body being exploited shakes me to my core, and I cannot even begin to think about the devastating pain that must come when one is placed in situations like this. However, Muriel, and all other sexual assault and sex trafficking victims and survivors have my boundless respect – going through something as ghastly and heinous as sexual exploitation is beyond what most people can tolerate, and speaking up and acting against it serves as an even bigger example of courage.
Chapter 3: Review Written by Georgia Korfeh
Benjamin Baker’s experience through the foster care system and becoming a first-generation college graduate was really inspiring. His story reveals the reality of how disadvantaged homeless and foster youth are, the various abuses they experience and the frequency of their interactions with the youth criminal justice system. Chronological age should not determine whether a youth should be deemed capable to be independent and removed from the foster system. Youth need ongoing support, a GED or high school diploma, a job and social bonds before being fully released from the system, or else they risk failing to integrate into society with higher risks of homelessness or prison time. With strong supportive relationships with one of the group home supervisors Mr. Todd and his friend from college Joey, as well as the discovery of Christianity and football, Benjamin’s story illustrates how all three factors – and some luck – contributed to life changing success. Furthermore, his story reveals the necessity of policy changes in Texas concerning children in foster care. There is a crucial need to streamline the adoption processes and monitor abuse taking place in foster homes. Research showed that children who overstayed in foster care, without adoption, experienced the most emotional harm (Sastyk, 2014). Although research also supports placing children with close relatives and family to maintain stability and develop healthy family relationships, Benjamin could not due to the dysfunction of his family. In his case, he was better off being raised outside the home and developing a kinship bond with Joey’s family.
References:
Sastyk. 2014. How long should kids stay in foster care? Scienceblogs
Chapters 4 & 5: Review Written by Amir Ali Adel
Almost Home is a heartbreaking yet inspiring and optimistic work of literature that portrays the realities of youth homelessness in North America. Although I encourage you to read all chapters, in my review, I focus on Chapters 4 and 5. The common thread in all chapters is the important contribution of the Covenant House to the lives of homeless youth.
Chapter 4 tells the story of a young single mom, Creionna, who bravely raises her boy, Dominic, despite growing up in a chaotic family. Her challenges are exacerbated when Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, killing more than nineteen hundred people. One aspect of Creionna’s story that resonated with me is her significant determination to save Dominic and herself from homelessness. From the time she settles in the Covenant House until the end, she is always moving forward to find her path. I found the climax of the story the moment when Creionna graduates from high school and attends prom: “Creionna looked in the mirror, she saw a beautiful young lady with a cheerful face with a deep kindness to it and, suddenly, a new glamour” (135). While graduation from high school may not be a great deal for many of us, for Creionna, graduation meant being one step closer to liberating herself and her boy from homelessness.
Chapter 5 is extraordinary in that two stories run parallel to each other and cross one another in the Covenant House. The stories are about Keith and Jim, born in different families and environments. Jim’s family is consumed by a devastating neurological disease, Huntington’s Disease. He finds meaning in helping the youth and becomes one of the pioneers of the Right of the Passage program in the Covenant House. This essential program provides transitional housing for youth homeless and has affected the lives of many including almost everyone in this book. Keith, on the other hand, faces unbelievable challenges as a child. Several times, he falls into the darkness of addiction and despair. Through the power of mentorship, Jim is able to guide Keith to the right path. If I were to choose one moment that summarizes this chapter I would choose: “Two men [Keith and Jim] whose fathers died tragically. Spiritualists yearning for God’s grace in their lives. Boys who had pinned to put their families back together. Encouraging each other, believing in each other. Making their imperfect road less grueling by walking it together.” (175). It is difficult to reinstate the power of mentorship for homeless kids. Keith’s story brought home this point for me.
Chapter 6: Review Written by Ashwath Puchakatla
Chapter six details the story of Meghan, a resident of the Covenant House of Mexican descent, and her struggle with the intertwining conflict of her family, homelessness, and her sexual orientation. From a young age, she endured an absentee father, shifting maternal figureheads, and the responsibility of helping her grandmother take care of her younger siblings. In 2009, following a couple of temporary evictions due to her grandmother’s disapproval of her behavior, Meghan was kicked out of the place she called home after a heated argument regarding her sexuality. Despite her pleas to her family, Meghan was ultimately turned away, ultimately taking residence at the Covenant House. Throughout their retelling of Meghan’s story, Ryan and Kelley relate how Meghan is one of many LGBTQ+ individuals who have had to go through familial rejections and have been forced to live on the streets due to an innate aspect of their identity of which they had no ability to choose. This has unfortunately led them to be at higher risk for homelessness, physical and mental health ailments, sexual harrassment, and victims of violence.
At the Covenant House, Meghan began to try to change her life around, building new relationships and enrolling in massage therapy school to gain her certification. However, it was not long before Meghan’s family began to call her, and requested financial assistance. The pull from her family culminated in Meghan’s dropping out of school, leaving Meghan in thousands in loan debt. In a later visit with her grandmother, Meghan was extended an olive branch, and was invited back to the family home. While the chapter ends fairly ambiguously on what Meghan’s decision is, Ryan and Kelley leave no ambiguity on what changes families need to make in order to prevent more individuals who identify with a sexual minority on the street; mainly, the family must foster an accepting environment, one where the individual is able to express their identity without the fear of being abandoned. However, in cases where the individual is rejected by their family, there should be safeguards in place, such as accessibility to affordable housing, measures against inequity and ease of access to public support systems. These safeguards would allow those sexual minorities at risk of homelessness an opportunity to land on their feet; this is especially significant to sexual minorites, as they are already at risk for many of the vulnerabilites that arise from being homeless, such as mental and physical illnesses, abuse and targeted violence.
Overall, while Meghan’s story shares characteristics to many that have come before and to many that may come after, it is ultimately a story of a unique individual finding themselves and a place to call home despite the adversities thrown at them. Meghan’s story is one of hope, where its central character is able to provide herself with opportunities to improve her life, and the ability to choose which path she wants to take in life.
References:
Clay, R. (2018). Sexual and gender minorities are at higher risk. Retrieved 2 December 2021, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/06/ce-corner-risk
Homelessness. (2021). Retrieved 2 December 2021, from https://depts.washington.edu/triolive/ quest/2007/TTQ07033/effects.html
Gaetz, S., Schwan, K., Redman, M., French, D., & Dej, E. (2018). The Roadmap for the Prevention of Youth Homelessness. A. Buchnea (Ed.). Toronto, ON: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.
Ryan, K., & Kelley, T. (2012). Almost Home: Helping Kids Move from Homelessness to Hope. Wiley.
Sexual and gender minorities face unique health risks – Harvard Health. (2021). Retrieved 2 December 2021, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/sexual-and-gender- minorities-face-unique-health-risks
Smith, D., Johns, N., & Raj, A. (2020). Do Sexual Minorities Face Greater Risk for Sexual Harassment, Ever and at School, in Adolescence?. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence. doi: 10.1177/0886260520926315
Chapter 7: Review Written by Erica Kim
Chapter 7 of Almost Home explores the story of Frankie, who as a teenager gave birth to her son, Paulie, and subsequently lost him to adopting parents after struggling to raise him in poverty. The author insightfully points out that many of the hardships Frankie and Paulie had to go through would have been preventable if there were shelters for teenagers with babies. In addition to the lack of such shelters, the inability to keep track of her son’s whereabouts after his adoption makes homeless teen mothers like Frankie feel hopeless. Although Frankie and Paulie were able to unite after decades, out of pure luck and coincidence, there is still an uneasiness between them. Love and trust within the family stand firm only when it accumulates over a long time, and this was stripped away from Paulie and Frankie. This impedes Paulie from completely opening up to Frankie about his inner wounds from previously misunderstanding that he was abandoned in a shelter by his biological mother. Perhaps, Paulie wants to keep the peace with his mother after just reuniting. Nonetheless, the story alludes to hope — one day, Paulie will be able to disclose his deeply covered wounds. The title of the chapter, “Separate Paths Uniting” perfectly summarizes the story as the present tense indicates that Frankie and Paulie are still in the process of uniting even after being physically closer to one another.
The subsequent chapter, which is the last chapter, is not a story of someone, but rather a list of ways to help homeless youth: mentoring, anti-trafficking efforts, and supporting LGBTQ youth, among others. Almost Home allows readers to empathize with the characters’ hardships of living in poverty and encourages the readers to take part in lessening the burdens of homeless youth.
Campus UNICEF 
