Before Rashad found Valley Youth House’s Achieving Independence Center, his world was very small. He had spent years in inpatient care, living what he calls a “residential lifestyle” that kept him separated from the everyday rhythms of Philadelphia. Coming out of that environment was jarring, and he wasn’t used to being around people, let alone having the kind of normal conversations that most take for granted. At first, he stayed quiet and kept to himself, trying to figure out how a person even begins to fit back into the community after being away for so long. He remembers that time as a period of searching, trying to bridge the gap between where he had been and the “young youth of Philadelphia” he wanted to become.
The shift started when a DHS worker recognized that Rashad needed more support than he was getting as he grew older. He didn’t ask for the help himself, but looking back, he says he is “forever grateful” that she chose the Achieving Independence Center for him. Those first few weeks were heavy with anxiety. After years of being isolated, simply being out in public felt overwhelming. “I was definitely nervous,” Rashad recalls. “I haven’t been out in public for years when I first came into AIC.” It wasn’t just about finding a job or a place to live. It was about learning how to be comfortable in his own skin while walking down a city street.
What changed things for Rashad wasn’t a formal curriculum, but the people he met. He walked into a space that felt less like an office and more like a “family friendly space” where the staff seemed to actually care about what happened to him. He found a specific anchor in the employment and mental health teams, particularly with Mr. Nafeez, someone Rashad knows truly has his back. This sense of security allowed him to finally let his guard down. He credits the center with giving him the room to breathe and talk, saying, “I’m confident AIC is the reason why I opened up so much.”
Today, Rashad’s life looks nothing like the one he left behind in residential care. He has found a sense of stability that once felt out of reach, marking his progress by the victories of “keeping a steady job and controlling my emotions.” His goals are no longer about just surviving the day, and he is now focused on going back to school and continuing to build on the growth he has seen in himself over the last five years. For anyone else standing where he once stood, feeling awkward, silent, and unsure, Rashad’s advice is simple and grounded in his own reality: “Just keep getting up… lean towards the AIC for any help you need. They will help you. I promise.”
To meet other amazing youth like Rashad, read about the incredible journeys of Oralee and Tori.
