Childhood Without a Home, Part 6: Their Story Doesn’t Have To End Where Their Pain Began
Last week, I introduced you to my friend and former colleague Malika Zlatkin. She has spent nearly eight years serving young people in foster care as a CASA—a Court Appointed Special Advocate. She’s also a former City Relief staff member and a leader at one of our NYC church partners, New Light Baptist Church.
Malika brought our team an idea: a paid internship for young people preparing to age out of foster care. They could learn professional skills in a supportive environment while serving people experiencing poverty and homelessness.
I loved it immediately. There’s incredible power in discovering that the struggles you’ve experienced can help someone else feel understood, find hope, and begin to heal. I knew this idea would be a blessing to the interns themselves, but also for our staff and the people we serve.
Malika raised the money for the pilot, and we started with a handful of young people she supported as a CASA in Bergen County, New Jersey.
One young woman called Malika on her first day serving with our outreach team in Paterson. It was raining pretty hard, and Malika knew Paterson carried a unique weight for her because her mom had spent time in the same areas City Relief served when she was a little girl. Malika thought she might want to be picked up early.
Instead, through tears, she said: “I helped save someone’s life today.”
Someone at the outreach had overdosed. She helped call the paramedics and stayed with the person, helping keep them safe until emergency assistance arrived. She was drenched, but she didn’t care. She told Malika she was enjoying every moment.
She was standing in a place connected to painful memories, but this time with a purpose. Malika told her how proud she was and made clear she didn’t have to return if it was too emotionally difficult.
But she wanted to go back.
As Malika told me afterward: “It’s about helping them discover that their story does not have to end where their pain began.”
Another intern struggled with severe social anxiety. After a short time with our team, he began initiating conversations and participating. When the internship ended, he asked if he could stay longer!
A paycheck matters. Professional skills matter. But so does discovering that you belong somewhere and have something to contribute. This is part of what your generosity makes possible at City Relief. Donations sustain our outreach, our incredible staff, and the community that gives projects like this a place to take root.
Too many young people leaving foster care have endured hardships no child should face. With support and opportunities to serve, they can discover that their stories help others feel less alone—and that helping someone else can be part of their own healing.
Not to get preachy, but this is why our foundational scripture at City Relief is so powerful. Isaiah 58 tells us that when we feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, our healing “will quickly appear.” The divine paradox is that when we serve and give to others, we end up receiving so much more ourselves.
If you’re interested in supporting City Relief or the Fostering Futures Internship Program, please let me know. For a hands-on approach, consider becoming a CASA—or exploring whether your workplace or faith community could offer a paid internship to a young person aging out of foster care.
Together, we can help young people see that their pain does not define their future and that their story can bring hope to someone else.
With gratitude,
Josiah Haken
City Relief, CEO
