By Brittany Gregory

My name is Brittany Gregory. And I’m a homeless youth. Correction: I was a homeless youth. And I owe a lot of that to the people at YouthLink.

I’m originally from Chicago. I’ve been homeless since I was 16 and I was pregnant with my son, Marsean, when I was 17. He passed away before he was born—and I think about him every day. When I moved to Minneapolis earlier this year, I knew I needed help. After calling around, I found YouthLink.

Since then, I’ve been working in the YouthLink kitchen as an “intern” cooking, organizing and cleaning. I actually spend most days during the week at YouthLink in downtown Minneapolis.

The YouthLink staff has also motivated me to stay on top of my studies. In fact, I just graduated with my diploma in June with even more credits than I needed.

YouthLink kept me going along the way, encouraging me to study and stay on top of school. But, my son kept me motivated, too. I really wanted to make something for myself—and for him.

As a result of my work at YouthLink, and my recent graduation, I’m set to start school in the fall at Minneapolis Community Technical College studying early childhood development.

I’m also starting a new job at Davanni’s—something that would have never happened without the kitchen experience I earned at YouthLink.

And, maybe most importantly, I’m hoping to rent my first apartment later this summer—all on my own.

I owe a lot of YouthLink. They taught me to open up as a person. I don’t say much, so for me to talk with people and interact, it’s a big deal. They’ve also helped me with school, housing and medical care. I really wouldn’t be where I am today without them—they’ve become family to me.