How to start? A small story, I think, will work.

To show how far I think I’ve come is to know I celebrated my 27th birthday twice. Hahaha.

Last year, I thought I was 27 years old and that thought scared me for many reasons – I was exiting Just in Time For Foster youth (JIT), and I thought my support was no longer going to be there. I wasn’t ready to leave the community. I called JIT and was told that I had done my math wrong. I was still in JIT. I cried out of joy. I cried out of sadness too.

The joy was because I was still involved in JIT and was able to keep growing here. The sadness was because I realized I hadn’t joined some of the services that I could have missed out on. Out of that sadness, I made a promise to make the most out of JIT.

The workshops, services and mentors I’ve been paired with; the consoling; and the people whom I’ve interacted with have been some of the best people I could call family. The community that is here has changed my life mentally, physically and emotionally for the better. Most of the services I attended were recommended by the staff who I consulted with and, wow, did they know me. Each service and all the workshops I attended were what I needed to mature more and more. The relationships that I built, I feel, are lifelong.

When the lockdown happened, JIT maintained contact with me, and they continue to go out of their way for us! The love in this community is something I hold close and dear. When I think of this community, I am overcome with joy and happiness – it always makes me want to do better with everything and everyone.

The person I see in the mirror today compared to last year is an adult with the knowledge, resources, and networks to keep maturing and learning new things – Things that will make me the best version of myself, always changing to be better.

Now, this year, my exiting feels all positive – The joy that I graduated; the happiness and pride that I know ‘I got this’ now; the excitement and hope to see what lies next (HOW I can get there and that I KNOW I can get there), and, most important, LOVE.

I’ve learned to love myself now and to keep myself motivated – something that, before, was long gone. JIT revived my spirit just by being there for me, pushing me to be better, informing me and keeping me updated. Something I thought was gone, JIT unknowingly brought back to me. I can’t express how much you guys changed my life. Thank you so much!

Sincerely and with so much gratitude,

Irvin