“I had no place to call home, no connection… I was truly alone.”

Teresa and her six siblings all grew up in the foster care system. Being moved around from home to home, until at age 18 when she aged-out of foster care and was on her own. Literally. Through tears she recalls, “I had no place to call home, no connection…I was truly alone.”

When Teresa heard about Olive Crest’s transitional age housing program, she thought she had won the lottery. A nice place, with nice furniture, all on her own…and best of all—free! She quickly realized that there was a lot she needed to learn. Once she realized that the staff really cared about what she did and how the rest of her life would go, she decided that this was the start of a life she had never dreamed possible.

Teresa felt a calling to give back to those who never had a chance at a future. Those who, like her, were all alone. During her time in transitional housing, she earned dual degrees in Human Services and Criminal Justice and went on to earn a master’s degree in Social Work. After being promoted to Social Services Program Manager, she reached out to us to share the good news.

“I wanted to take the time to say thank you,” She writes. “Olive Crest was definitely my family while transitioning from foster youth to adulthood.”

Teresa is so passionate about the impact that Olive Crest has made in her life that she wants to continue that legacy by equipping youth who experience trauma to become healthy and productive.

Teresa is a beautiful and inspiring example of what can happen when hurting kids experience love, safety, and are equipped for life.