Sadie Cherie sits on the bench with the camera rolling, “are you ready?” “Yeah, I’m ready,” she replies.
Her story seems extreme but after sitting down with her you’d be surprised to know it’s anything but. One in 30 adolescents in the United States will at sometime in their childhood experience homelessness. (Statistics) One organization in Norman is doing what it can to help kids overcome the struggles and stigma associated with being homeless. In the early 1990’s counselors at Norman area high schools started noticing a need to support an ever growing population of homeless teenagers. Independent Living Services for Youth (ILSY) was formed from this need. State law forbade teens from attending high school without a parent or guardian, this all changed in 1993 when the legal guardian law was changed. In 2000 ILSY, now called Bridges, hired their first paid employee and soon purchased an old apartment complex a few hundred yards from Norman North HS.
Bianca Gordon, assistant executive director summarized the organization this way “Bridges empowers high school students in family crisis to pursue education without obstacles.” As of this writing Bridges is currently supporting 90 students a year. This support comes in the way of assistance with food, clothing and housing. Bridges also hosts weekly “seminars” to teach life skills, how to write a resume, cook and meal and manage daily tasks are just a few of the topics covered.
The apartments that can be leased by the students are modest but well stocked thanks to generous donations from the community. They include a living and dining area complete with a stocked kitchen, a single bedroom and bathroom. Mrs. Gordon added, “Students still continue to want to go to school, finish high school, wanting to be as similar to their peers as possible, just like any other teenager.”
Sadie Cherie, a recent graduate of Bridges, wanted to tell her story. “My mom lost her house, we were homeless, she was on drugs. We were living in a tent at Lake Thunderbird and I found out I was pregnant.” Sadie not wanting her child to grow up in that situation went to her school counselor and asked for help, Bridges is where she landed. Sadie spoke of her time at Bridges, “it was community based, it was lovely, I don’t regret coming here at all.” Does she think she’d be where she is now without the assistance of Bridges, “Definitely not, absolutely not, as soon as someone found out, anyone from the state found out there was a child living at the lake that would have changed the trajectory of my life completely.” Where is Sadie now? She’s been a dental assistant for Dr. Gabriel Bird for five years, she started after she graduated school.
Bridges of Norman is always accepting donations of food and clothing. For volunteer opportunities or just more information about this non-profit please visit their website at Bridges.
