I grew up with six brothers and sisters with my father and step-mother. Life was good. My family had more than enough money to go around because of the truck driving job my father had. My father drove truck for about eight or nine years. He had a bad accident and messed up his back real bad which caused him to lose his job. Life went from good to very hard because of this.

This 14 year old mixed race Caucasian/African American female was referred to Harry's Mother via the Crisis Line. The family was contemplating a crisis respite stay for "Carissa", but made the decision to try family counseling as a preventative measure. This client comes from a divorced family, where she splits her time equally between her two biological parents. She has a younger sister (age 12) who lives with her as well. She attends an alternative middle school, receiving primarily average grades.

Carrie was asked to leave home by her stepmother when she was 15.

Charessa left home when she was 9 years old. Not enough money, my family couldn't provide for 3 so one of us had to go, and that was me, so I left and ended up on YouthCares doorstep.

My name is Charlene. I am presently 18 years old. I have gone through a lot of things in my life that have brought me to your program today. I have overcome difficult things that have made me the person that I am today.

Chelsea and her Mother came to us for family counseling. Chelsea is 15 years old and her father has never been in her life. She is an only child. About half-way through the previous school year, she began exhibiting negative behaviors both at home and at school. She became defiant about obeying curfew and other house rules. She was expelled from school when she was caught with some marijuana on her person and placed at an alternative school. At the alternative school, Chelsea was expelled for bringing over-the-counter medicine to a peer, who overdosed on it and got quite sick.

Crystal Lynn was born to a 14-year-old mother and raised by her grandmother. At age 12, she found her grandmother murdered. In need of a place to stay, she "couch surfed" among extended family and friends.

Dorothy came to us when she was 16. She was a junior in highschool, and her mother and her had so much conflict that she had to find a place to live long-term before she was thrown out of her house. She came into the shelter first and then moved into our Lifestyles Transitional Living Program. Through the help of Promise House and her basketball coach, Dorothy excelled in school and became the captain of her basketball team. She was picked as one of five young women to meet Oprah Winfrey when Promise House was chosen as an Oprah's Angels beneficiary (the highlight of her life, according to Dorothy).

Before I knew about Sasha Bruce Youthwork, I thought that my life had no purpose or meaning. I didn't really care about my future. I wasn't in school, didn't have a job and barely had a pillow to rest my head on. I lost respect for my life and purpose.

I lived with my grandma since I was two days old until I turned13. During those years I was hit with any objects that she could find. She would leave me in the house alone for days, smoke weed and drink around me. I just held all this anger in till I turned 13 that's when I exploded, fought back and ran away. I end up in jail for a night, but it's was worth it. Then I went to live with my real mother not knowing she was not going except me for the way I am, homosexual, gay, faggot, whatever people called it these days. Two weeks after finding out she kicked me out and told me I was never her son. That really hurt me till this day. When I think about it I start to cry.

Five years from now I would like to be traveling the world with the Navy. Seeing different parts of the world. I mean they're flying me to Chicago next soon, that's were their boot camp is.

Since entering into the program Janel has obtained her legal documents, which is an extremely difficult task for homeless youth because of the many hoops this population must jump through.

Um, one of the hardest things to see is, um, see the friends that I've made do dope kill themselves that way. Methamphetamines...

Jessica left home when she was 15 to escape a home environment in which her mother was abusive, both emotionally and physically. When her sole support person, her brother, left to join the Air Force, she left home too. "I couldn't deal with it any longer," she said.

Joseph left home when he was 13. He explained that he left because there were few resources to take care of the needs of his large family. "It was just that my mom couldn't take care of all of us. I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters." He alternated between staying with friends, family, and foster care.

Luke's parents had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and he and his siblings were removed from their home when he was only three years old. The children were placed with their grandmother, and as Luke grew older, he learned to play the saxophone and attended Arts High School.

Lydia was hysterical when the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) frontline team member took her phone call to 1-800-RUNAWAY. "I could feel her shaking through the phone line," recalls Marisa. It took a few minutes, but by building rapport and listening carefully, Marisa was able to get Lydia to open up.

Mike came to Brahma House headstrong and unhappy. He and his mother had moved here from Korea, and he quickly became a typical American teen. He wanted the freedom to do things with his friends, just like other kids his age, and continually challenged the limits his mother set for him.

"My name is Natasha. My life started out rough as a child. At the age of four or five my sister was sexually abused by my father. My mom went to Texas at that time because her mother was sick. When she arrived back home all three of her kids were placed into foster care.

Nick is a 16 year old living in YouthCare's Shelter Program. Nick has been in and out of shelters since he was 13 years old, when his mother asked him to leave home. He has been living on and off in shelters and on the streets for three years.

Paloma came to Promise House when she was in high school. Frequent runaway episodes defined her life at that time. Although she attended a private Catholic school, she was many times sleeping in the school's football concession stand, on top of buildings in Deep Ellum, or walking around all night to avoid witnessing abuse at home.

I left home because like I was tired of rules, um and I don't really like to abide by rules because I was a hardheaded person, I didn't really like to listen to anybody else. I felt like I could do what I wanted. Which, like you know what I'm saying, I was fed up. Plus also I was tired of doing everything around the house. Like, my mom she was working and she didn't clean up to, and my brother was worken, but he wouldn't do shit. But I got tired of it. And I never went back home; I was like, for real. Pretty much I just got tired of the whole thing, other people just being lazy. I was like doing everyone's work, cause I didn't have no job at the time.

When Winnie, an NRS front line team member, initially took Roberto's call to 1-800-RUNAWAY earlier this summer, she was concerned. Roberto was having trouble telling his story. After reassuring Roberto she was there to help, and promising him that NRS was a confidential hotline, the 15-year-old relaxed enough to start telling his story.

Living with my mom and my stepfather was difficult. My stepfather came home every night drunk and would beat my mom up. My brother and I didn't sleep well wondering if we would be next.

On a particularly crisp fall evening, Beth left her class, stopped by a coffee house and prepared for her volunteer shift at the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS). Beth sipped her latte unaware that her very first hotline call that day would change her life forever.