Former Hope Street Resident Graduates from College 

The following is the story of a former Hope Street resident, as told by Hope Street Director Andrea Simonett.

Several years ago, a youth, I’ll call him John, arrived to Hope Street Shelter dealing with a number of issues. Just before John came to the shelter, his father had been convicted of molesting and murdering a child. John had a lot of difficulty understanding his father’s actions and coming to terms with his relation to someone capable of such an act.

Right away, John wanted help to legally change his name. He did not want to have his name tied to his biological father who had committed such horrific acts. His case manager advocated strongly for the name change, helped with the numerous paperwork requirements and Catholic Charities helped pay the financial costs of the name change.

The name change was monumental because it gave John a tangible, concrete way to separate himself from his father, a first step for him in accomplishing his life goals. His case manager then began working with him on his depression and suicidal thoughts. He moved from our shelter into Hope Street Transitional House and lived there for two years.

During that time he stabilized his mental health issues, graduated from high school, began taking college classes and held a job. He made amazing progress in his personal development and his confidence. He built strong relationships with staff and peers.

In May, a couple of Hope Street staff and I had the amazing pleasure of attending his graduation from a local college. He graduated with a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. We took him out to dinner to celebrate his achievements.

It was an amazing day.

Andrea Simonett
Program Director
Hope Street for Runaway and Homeless Youth


Because of you, homeless teens such as John make amazing progress and become independent adults. To support Hope Street and other Catholic Charities programs that serve people most in need, make a gift today.