When Graduation Isn’t the Biggest Question

Imagine being 18 years old, still in high school, and not wondering what comes after graduation, but where you will sleep that night.

Before finding Eddy House, James only knew instability.

By the time he turned 18, and while still a senior in high school, he had already moved more times than he could count. Sometimes he and his mom stayed with friends, sometimes in cars, sometimes in shelters. When things were going well, there were warm meals, school nights, and laughter. But those moments never lasted long.

Each time they lost housing again, James felt the same crushing worry, where will we sleep tonight?

Living With Hunger, Fear, and Shame

Hunger became a familiar ache, and school felt impossible when James did not know if he would have dinner or a bed that night. He learned to keep his backpack close and to hide his fear behind a quiet, tired smile.

As his senior year wore on, James fell further behind. He wanted desperately to graduate, believing a diploma could be his ticket out of a life defined by homelessness. But he also carried a deep sense of shame. He did not want anyone at school to know he was living out of a car or that he sometimes cleaned up in a gas station bathroom before class.

When his grades began to slip, so did his hope.

“If I can’t even graduate,” he later told one of our staff, “what’s the point of trying?”

The Night Everything Changed

One night, after being kicked out of the place they were staying, James found himself alone and scared.

He did not know where to go, but he knew he had to find somewhere safe.

That is when he found Eddy House.

For the first time, James had a roof over his head and people who saw him, not just looking past him. He was seen as a young man worth believing in.

Finding Safety at Eddy House

Our team quickly fast-tracked James into the Community Living Program so he could stay in school, focus on his future, and finally rest without fear.

He had his own bed.
He had warm meals.
He had adults who cared enough to ask how his day went, and to listen.

With stability came relief, and then something new, hope.

From Surviving to Thriving

With this stability, James began to thrive. In just a few months, he walked proudly across the graduation stage and proved to himself that he could finish something that once felt impossible.

For the first time, James started to believe that he deserved a better future.

Later that summer, our case managers encouraged him to attend an outdoor camp in the Ruby Mountains, where he learned teamwork, leadership, and confidence. Hiking, archery, campfires, each one a first. Each one showing him that his story did not have to end in struggle.

Building a Future, One Step at a Time

With help from our workforce development team, James hit the ground running, but the truth is, he almost did not make it.

Before Eddy House, his whole life was about survival, and it is hard to shake that when it is all you have ever known. Even now, James battles daily fear, anxiety, and the constant worry that he could lose everything and become unhoused again.

Still, he kept going.

He signed up for a job training class. He landed his first job. He began saving money, all while fighting exhaustion and the feeling that he did not deserve a better life.

Four months later, James proudly moved into his very own apartment.

What Eddy House Made Possible

When James looks back, he says Eddy House gave him what he had never known before, safety, encouragement, and the power to make his own choices.

Every small success built his courage, his confidence, and his belief that life could be different.

But not all young people know about Eddy House. That is why our High School Outreach Program brings hope directly into local schools, meeting youth where they are before crisis begins.

Every Gift Fills the Gap

None of this happens without you.

Every gift fills a gap, providing not just food, shelter, and safety, but the dignity every young person deserves. Because of you, warmth, comfort, and hope are possible this season.

For the youth we serve, home is not always a place. It is the moment they walk through our doors and realize they are finally safe.

As we close out the year and gather with our loved ones, we invite you to be part of more stories like James’.

Your support helps young people in Northern Nevada move from surviving to thriving, discovering their potential and creating futures filled with hope and possibility.

Every gift fills a gap, and every youth deserves a chance.

James’ name has been changed to protect his privacy, but his story is real.