As a high school student, Storm struggled to balance his pursuit of education with the battle for stable housing. A foster youth with no safety net spent his nights sleeping in the streets and showering in the boy’s locker room at school. Storm’s teenage years were a constant struggle with instability and uncertainty, poor decision-making abilities, and difficulty focusing and staying on task.
When he was a junior in high school, Storm found StandUp for Kids and began working with our case managers. As the housing program managers worked to set Storm up with stable housing, he worked closely with his program managers to continue his education and establish a strong foundation for his future rooted in good decision making. Not only did he graduate high school on time, but he was also able to proudly walk across the stage with his classmates. In the 3-4 years that Storm worked with StandUp for Kids, he developed personal and professional skills that he has been able to continuously build off.
Fast forward to today; Storm is now a culinary maestro, gracing the kitchens of a luxury brand hotel. Without having to worry about where he was going to be sleeping every night, he was able to focus on finding his passion in cooking. Described as a “foodie,” Storm and his wife of almost 3 years enjoy traveling to new destinations and trying new restaurants on their adventures. Thanks to the dedicated StandUp for Kids team, and the donors who made all of this possible, Storm was able get off the streets and find the resources to create a flourishing future for himself.