Albert's Story
Sometimes the realities of the foster care system can cause a sense of overwhelming hopelessness. There are so many young people; there is so much difficulty, so many challenges, so much pain and disappointment. But then, there are stories like Albert’s that show the astonishing power of human resilience, and how hopefulness can conquer even the most difficult of circumstance. Albert is one of eleven children. He was removed from his home when he was four years old. He grew up without any knowledge of his siblings, his heritage, or his family.
He moved through various foster care placements for about six years until one day he was told by a social worker that two of his siblings were living with a family that wanted to adopt them, and that the family wanted him to live with them, too. Needless to say, Albert’s hopes soared. After a rocky year and a half, Albert was forced to leave his siblings and their adoptive parents to re-enter the foster care system.
Despite his disappointment, Albert still held on to the sense of optimism that is so evident within him. “I really feel like I’ve had a glass half-full ideology all my life,” he says. Against the odds, Albert was adopted by a successful business man at the age of 14. The change in Albert’s life was astonishing. He explains that “to go from having nothing to having everything is very powerful.” As the first year of their life together passed, Albert’s adoptive parent kept getting more and more successful. They were traveling around the world, and it was all very exciting. It felt to Albert like living in a dream. “I got a lot of my desire to succeed from him. He had a really nice life, and I saw that giving up or letting life trample on me was never going to be an option.”
So, when the abuse began with the man he still refers to as “Dad” Albert felt that he couldn’t do anything about it. “He was really wealthy and intimidated people into getting what he wanted. We had nice cars and nice houses. I wanted those things, so I stuck with it.” Things just kept getting worse, “[the success] started going to his head. He started taking advantage of people and me more.” Albert suffered with increasing levels of abuse perpetuated by his adoptive father until he finally said he wouldn’t put up with it anymore. Their relationship deteriorated and Albert ended up without a home. “I went to school and told my counselor and got a lot of support from school and friends. I stayed with a friend for a month until I got moved into a group home.” Then, that group home shut down, and everything was in the air again. Albert was still able to remain positive and hopeful and focused. “I am such a motivated person to get done what I want to get done.” He says, “Sometimes it comes off as stubbornness, and that can be true, but that is how I’ve learned to cope with what has happened to me.” Albert embodies resilience and the power of hope.
Finally, after moving through every corner of the foster system—foster families, group homes, adoption, abandonment, more group homes—Albert thought he had found what he needed. “I was put in a really good foster home with lots of support with a lot of structure. She was very caring, and very strict. It was that situation that forced into my head that I’m going to have to do something for myself or that I would be homeless. I really didn’t envision that for myself, so I found First Place.”
Albert found help right away at First Place. “The Econ. Lit. class was really helpful because I didn’t know what to expect coming out of foster care. It really gave me an idea of what I would have to do to be successful. Everyone was so nice and there was lots of moral support, which is why people are there.”
As Albert’s emancipation date came closer, his foster mother made it very clear to him that he couldn’t stay with her. Fortunately, First Place for Youth was able to house Albert quickly, and he moved into his own apartment. “I don’t know what I would have done without First Place. The apartment and everything is so wonderful. It is such an intimidating process to figure out how to get a place to live, but I got help.”
Albert is well on his way to a very bright future. He graduated High School with a 3.8 grade point average. He is working full time and plans to attend Diablo Valley College. The entire world is spread before him. “After I finish college I am thinking about the Peace Corps. Half my family is from Mexico, and I don’t know anything about my heritage. Also, there are so many people who have less than we do, and if you can help them why wouldn’t you?” Ultimately, Albert wants to use his experiences to give back to others. “I want to dedicate my life to helping people. I want to open my own homeless shelter to offer more than just a place to stay, but to get stabilized and move back into society so that you can do all the things you want to do. There shouldn’t be any distinction between you and anyone else.” Albert knows that his experiences are powerful, and he wants to make a positive impact on the world using what he has learned on his journey. “I think it is one of those things that you can say is horrible, but you have to be in that situation to realize how terrifying it can be. One of the best things to do is really sit down and listen to what these kids have to say. They need someone to listen to them. They have faced rejection, and all we really want is to be accepted.”
After his life of moving through every aspect of the foster care system, there can be no doubt that Albert will be a valuable force to help in the work to end homelessness. He says, “Homelessness is the number one fear of emancipating foster youth because we don’t have anything to fall back on, and it is so common. First Place is that light at the end of the tunnel. It’s our last hope in a way.”