Freddie: Rainbow Is a Light at the End of the Tunnel
"You can get support at Rainbow that you might never have had but always needed. If you need transportation or a place to live, Rainbow has your back. You could call them really late, and they’ll always answer your call. They won’t leave you hanging. They’ll always be there and make sure you’re not out in the street. Rainbow’s services are really important for your mental health and your general safety."
Freddie, 23, shares his Rainbow experience:
Being at Rainbow feels very calming. You don’t have to stress. I’m staying in a shelter right now, and my case manager there connected me to Rainbow. It’s really helped me out a lot.
When you’re at Rainbow, your stress levels go down, and it’s pretty cool to have that support. It’s a community of people just like myself. Everybody is not exactly the same as who I am but it’s like we all have a basic general understanding that it’s ok to be yourself here. And that’s pretty cool.
I’m currently attending community college, studying psychology. I go to the library every chance I get. I got interested in psychology in high school when I took psychology and sociology classes, and they were really cool and fun to go to. After I get my degree, I’d like to go into social work because I want to give back to the community. Being a homeless LGBTQ youth, I’d like to help people out the way people have helped me out.
Rainbow has really helped me regain my confidence and feel comfortable in the work environment so I could get a job. They help LGBTQ youth get clothes and transportation they need for job interviews and on the job, which is really cool. I couldn’t have gotten my job without Rainbow, and having this job has given me an opportunity to grow as a person, to learn how to take care of myself and be responsible with my own life. It’s a lot of fun, honestly. My coworkers are really sweet, and the customers are cool, hard working people.
My job has given me a window of opportunity because I can see that I can go to school, I can go to work, and I can work toward something cooler than just minimum wage forever. My coworkers and I get along great. We look forward to seeing each other which is really cool.
You can get support at Rainbow that you might never have had but always needed. If you need transportation or a place to live, Rainbow has your back. You could call them really late, and they’ll always answer your call. They won’t leave you hanging. They’ll always be there and make sure you’re not out in the street. Rainbow’s services are really important for your mental health and your general safety.
Everybody needs support and foundation, and you can’t get that foundation without having support. If you’re lost and don’t know where to go, Rainbow is a light at the end of the tunnel. They’ve helped me out in so many ways I wouldn’t even think to get help.