“I told my parents that I liked guys when I was thirteen years old. It ended with my dad threatening me, so I stayed with friends and other families – over and over – until I found Covenant House.

Not having my parents in my life really affected my ability to grow mentally and emotionally. I’m trying to work through that and let go of the constant feeling of disappointment towards my family. My sister is older and successful, and I’m homeless. That weighs on my shoulders.

Everyone can get stuck in a loop no matter who they are. My worst fear is that loop – I’ve seen people get stuck in it for their entire lives. And it takes a personal decision to break out of that loop. It gets better, but it only gets better if you make it better.”

-Gery