Maui Youth & Family Services Client Success Stories
Many of our Maui Youth & Family Services clients have walked a hard road before reaching our program doors. Here they share their personal stories about the lives they were living, the programs that helped them, and how they want to give back to the world.
Dianthe's Story
My mom got into drugs; I think she was trying to deal with grief. We had two special family members that died in traumatic ways. The second one passed away behind our house; I got to see all of it happen.
My mom used meth and cocaine. Before that, she used marijuana, cigarettes and vaping. I honestly tried those too, because I was curious about that. It was just for a short time, in addition to me being depressed, and to a point where I became suicidal.
One time when no one was home, I had these judgmental, negative thoughts, like, “I can just give up already, I don’t see the point of continuing on.” So I got out of my bed and went to the kitchen and grabbed the knife from the dishrack. I came back to the bed and sat down with the knife. But I thought about one of my family members that passed away, and I thought, ‘if I do this, I’ll also repeat that devastating thing,’ and add on to everyone being disappointed, or sad.”
I got clean instantly; I gave up on marijuana, vaping, cigarettes, knowing, that’s going to make me more depressed. That led me to reaching out to my aunties, and talking to them about my drug use. I got connected with a CPS worker to talk about my situation. About a week later, the CPS worker decided to visit my family’s house, which led to them taking me away from the house, and putting me into a temporary home. Luckily, my first foster father made my transition pretty comfortable.
When I aged out of the foster youth program, I signed up for Imua Kakou at Maui Youth & Family Services. Aunty Eva was my case manager. We did weekly check-ins online, since I was still on Molokai. She connected me with the adult housing program here. In a short time I got to move in.
Now I have opportunities and services that can help me. This program provided a safe, clean home, with a working stove and bathroom, compared to my family home, which was the opposite. I have had to move around a lot since I got into foster care, and I like the stability here. It’s been great to have people I can connect to easily, in that we’ve all seen trauma, or been in a foster program. And I have the support of Aunty Eva and the staff here at Maui Youth & Family Services.
Trinity's Story
I spent my childhood in Oregon, in a very abusive home. People reported it to CPS, but no one would ever do anything. My mom brought us to Hawaii when she moved here for a guy she was dating. I was 12 at that time.
After living with my dad for a while in Atlanta (I didn’t really know him and he sexually assaulted me), I was in and out of institutions because I had tried to kill myself. Then I moved to live with my sister in Oregon.
My mom was still living on Maui with her drug dealer boyfriend and my little sisters. I went back to Maui to stay with her. I was sent to Oahu for treatment after a suicide attempt, then put in foster care on Maui.
I didn’t get the help I needed until I was in a Maui Youth & Family Services program home. I was in a really good foster home for the first time. I was 17 by then. They gave me what I needed, and I was in therapy.
My case manager Eva, and the clinical director Susan, have made a big impact on me. They helped me get my school transcripts so I could apply for college, and they helped me get health insurance. Through all of that, they were trying to get to know me, and to build a relationship with me. They are like my family in a way, they are the people that actually helped me accomplish the goals that I had.
Jolie's Story
The project Venture program at Maui Youth & Family Services has made a difference in my life and how I make my decisions. They have taught me how to rethink everyday situations, even the smallest of things. They helped me have different ways of looking at something, to make a decision, or learn how to resolve or avoid a conflict in the future.
The staff are always willing to help me with anything I might need. They taught me multiple skills like camping etiquette, learning about cultures around the world, and even first aid. They also give me an opportunity to get out of the house, while being safe and learning something new. That is how Project Venture has impacted me and my life.
Begin Your Story of Recovery
The stories above show how resilient and capable our youth can be when given the right support and opportunities. If your child or family struggles, we can help write a new, more promising chapter. Complete the form below to get started.