Corey's Story

Former youth feels ‘at home’ at CHMO, even when not living here

Former youth Corey says he would not be where he is today without CHMO's services. He means that in many ways, including quite literally. "If I wasn't here, I never would have applied for an apartment." He's still living in that apartment today.

Corey, age 24, also obtained a job with a temp agency while he was living at CHMO, with the help of Mr. Cancer and our employment services. "All the skills I have, I learned here," he says. He has kept that job and appreciates the wide range of experience he has received, from cleaning to demolition. He has aspirations of being an architect one day.

Corey was homeless for a few months before finding CHMO. "You go through something so, so bad, and then the next thing could be a miracle." He'd been sleeping in the park, decided to visit the library to look up homeless shelters, and found us.

He says living here was the perfect combination of having a childhood and learning to be an adult. The outings were a lot of fun, Corey says, but one time he needed to attend a job interview instead of an outing. "It was my first time really being an adult with responsibilities."

Corey's brother has also received services at CHMO, at Corey's recommendation. "It's like a whole new family here," Corey says. "They do the best they can to keep us away from harm. Every time I step in here, I just feel at home."

His photo is even on the wall in our conference room. During a recent visit, he recreated his pose in front of the old photo.