Michael was a transitional aged foster youth. After the passing of his aunt, he had no access to any of his personal identifiable information. This means he had no birth certificate, social security card, or photo ID. For two years, he was unable to apply for jobs and housing because he had no identification and was facing the harsh realities of homelessness and unemployment: Realities that are all too common for youth aging out of the foster care system. This leads many young people to getting involved with illegal ways to survive. In certain states in America, 100% of the people on death row have been in the foster care system. Due to a lack of resources, transitional aged foster youth tend to end up selling drugs, selling their bodies, stealing, and manipulating the public welfare system: A fate we work tirelessly to avoid. Within 6 months of working with Living Advantage, Michael was able to acquire his birth certificate and other personal identifiable information vital to his life as a productive citizen in society. Michael is now a fitness trainer and kickboxing instructor. He serves as a living testament to the extreme necessity for our services, and the strides our foster youth can make with access to simple resources. Our mission is to make stories like Michael’s the norm, and not the anomaly.
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