After years of abuse, instability, and feeling hopeless, Natalie made the courageous decision to seek safety.
With support from ACH, she is now building the future she thought was out of reach.
A Childhood Marked by Trauma
Natalie had a tumultuous childhood. A car accident resulted in more than five surgeries for significant facial trauma. She was dyslexic. At just 8 years old, an investigation of child abuse led to a court order removing her from the care of her parents.
She was placed with her grandmother, but grandma would always take her back to her abusive dad. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she ran away.
Life Changing Support
She knew Safe Place was somewhere she could go and feel safe. Safe Place is a nationwide program that ACH administers locally at more than 250 locations in Tarrant County.
Once there, she was taken to ACH’s Pat O’Neal Youth Emergency Shelter and immediately received food, clothing, a medical screening, and therapy. At the Fort Worth Independent School District Charter School in the Shelter, she continued her high school classes and for the first time, got the help she needed for her dyslexia.
Moving Forward
The Shelter serves ages 10-17 and in March Natalie turned 18—the age when youth “age out” of foster care. The Shelter staff told her about ACH’s LIFE Project, a supervised independent living program for young adults ages 18 to 21. Now in LIFE, she continues to receive therapy to overcome years of abuse. She’s finishing high school and working on getting a job and is now on a good path to becoming self-sufficient.
About Safe Place
Safe Place is a locally-administered, national program that provides access to immediate help and safety for young people who are runaways, homeless, experience human/sex/labor trafficking, etc. In Tarrant County, this critical community safety net makes it possible for youth to get help fast at locations that display the distinctive yellow and black sign.
Safe Place sites are developed in partnership with business and community locations that are easily accessible. Some current partnerships include QuikTrip, all Fort Worth Fire Departments, Trinity Metro, Community Centers, and The Underground.