From Homeless to Hollywood
From homelessness to high fashion: Brandon chases his dream of fashion design in Los Angeles with The Salvation Army by his side.
When Brandon first arrived in Los Angeles from his small town in northern Canada, he had no idea where he was going or how he was going to live. He had heard of Hollywood, so he walked there from LAX.
“I was hesitant at first to come in (to the Center), but when I did, everyone was very welcoming.”
Brandon decided to go to California after his family kicked him out of the home when he revealed he was gay. He went to L.A. to chase his dream of becoming a fashion designer in a place he believe to be “gay friendly” – a place where he could be himself. But when he got there, he didn’t know anyone and didn’t have any money, so he slept on the streets for a month.
“It was a major culture shock. I grew up in a little town of about 1,000 people in Canada near the Artic. L.A. was so crowded and so hot. But I decided, I’m here now.”
He looked for ways to make the best of his situation. He finally found the Hollywood LGBT Center and they referred him to The Salvation Army Way In Youth Center which helps children and teens escape Hollywood street life. The Center provides a safe home-like environment and support services to help them mature into productive and independent young adults. The Way In is home to many of Los Angeles’ 8,000 homeless youth.
“I was hesitant at first to come in (to the Center), but when I did, everyone was very welcoming,” Brandon said. "They were not judgmental of where you’d been. They just wanted to help you move forward to a better place.”
The case workers at The Way In helped Brandon secure transitional housing and enroll in school. They also helped him secure his visa so he could find a job and access additional services including mental health assistance.
With his degree now in hand, he moves a little closer to his dream with an internship at Vogue Magazine. Soon he will move into his own apartment. He says he couldn’t have done it without the help from The Salvation Army. “It’s been an amazing experience.”
To help other teens like Brandon, donate to The Way In at https://thewayin.salvationarmy.org/
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