Right now, too many children are being abused and neglected, and too many families lack the support, knowledge, or ability to care for their children. In the United States, a report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds. In Los Angeles County, there are nearly 35,000 children in the foster care system, which is more than any state alone. Every year, 1,400 children will age out of the system and 60% of them will become homeless within the same year. These numbers are staggering and are continuing to increase.
Olive Crest is uniquely positioned to come alongside these children and families to strengthen, equip, and restore those in crisis through education, housing, and counseling supports.
Take Andrew’s story for example. At the age of 14 he was in a gang and addicted to methamphetamine. He felt trapped in a cycle of abuse and abandonment and didn’t see any better vision for his future aside from what was happening around him.
By age 18, Andrew was homeless. Living on the streets was a rough experience and included anything he could think of to survive. He remembers stealing food, spending restless nights “sleeping” on chairs inside laundromats, and stealing cars when he ran out of options.
This would have ended tragically for Andrew, as it does for thousands of children, if it wasn’t for an unlikely recommendation. While incarcerated, Andrew was introduced to Olive Crest.
When asked what he wants to do someday, he laughed and said, “I want to chase something bigger, get paid for the work I put in. I know I have charisma and am a natural leader, and so, I want to chase deals, and make it on my own.” Then after a moment of quiet reflection he added earnestly, “… and help people, people like me who have no hope.”
“I could talk to you all day about what Olive Crest has done for me. They’ve taught me to mature and become a man, and to care about being a leader. I thought I would be on my own when I ‘aged out’ of the system, but they gave me the opportunity to get a place of my own and grow a savings account. I’ve been running my whole life; now I feel like I can finally stop running.”
– Andrew, Equipped For Life, Olive Crest
Learn more at olivecrest.org.
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