Who says you can't go home again? - Huckleberry House

erresa’s
Story
Terresa began running away from home when she was
13 years old. At the time, she was arguing a lot with her
mother. She had problems with her mother’s boyfriend.
And she was skipping school on a regular basis.
Terresa first learned about Huck House through a
Safe Place partner—the firehouse on East Main Street.
Throughout her early teens, she was in and out of the
shelter multiple times.
“It was really nice to have a place to come for a few day
and just get away from the worry and stress of everything
going on at home,” says Terresa.
When the problems at home didn’t get any better, Terresa’s
mother agreed to let her enter the Transitional
Living Program. Terresa got her first apartment at age
17, and she thrived in the program. She finished high
school, secured a job at Huck House working in the Crisis
program, and learned to maintain her budget.
“I had a mentor, Melanie, who I’m still in touch with today,”
says Terresa. “We did a lot of things together and it
was really nice to have someone to talk to other than my
mom. I know there’s someone in the world who cares
about me and recognizes that I’m doing better, and
that’s really a positive in my life.”
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