(Note: This interview was done last year at the Eddy House's Yosemite Place, which has since closed, but will reopen with a new model soon. The Yosemite Place, run by Lynette and Brian Eddy, offered a safe place in Reno for young men transitioning out of the foster care system.)
In a few short years, Tommy has gone from getting helped to now helping others.
Tommy, who moved from Oakland to the Reno area when he was 6, was abused as a child, and entered the foster care system when he was 13. After aging out of foster care, though, Tommy had more access to drugs than food, and ended up homeless, taking even more drugs not to fall asleep. The Eddy House, run by Lynette and Brian Eddy, saved him, giving him a place to live and also places to work. He is now back in school, working toward a future as a social worker, to give back to down spiraling kids, who he is says, just need a little help to fulfill their promise.
Tommy returns from class last year to his job at the Eddy House, where he helped others having difficulties aging out of foster care.
More Drugs than Food
“I had quite a few drug problems, quite a few, and I had really had nothing. At one point, the only electricity I had in my apartment was running from an extension cord from my neighbor’s apartment. It was pretty bad. I had no food, I never had money. I know money isn’t everything but it definitely helps. When I was in that spot, I never thought I’d be where I am today. When you’re on that downward spiral it’s hard to realize you are on a downward spiral.”
At one point, a few years ago, Tommy stole electricity from a neighbor's house, had no money whatsoever and then became homeless.
On Becoming Homeless:
“A few nights, I actually had nowhere to stay. I didn’t want to sleep outside so I used drugs not to sleep, so for quite a few nights actually, I was just up and roaming around with nowhere to go, no one to talk to and a really scary part of my life looking back on it, but I’m out of it now. ”
Tommy with Brian Eddy made sure kids having a difficult transition from foster care started making better decisions.
On Turning His Life Around:
“A few decisions with a few good people who are there to support you and help you is all you need really. I know I have a future. It’s motivating. Before I had nothing to look forward to, but now I have a goal that every day you just get closer to.”
Brian Eddy took part in an outreach effort for homeless kids last year in Reno
On the Importance of Reaching out to At-Risk Kids:
“When you age out of foster care, you don’t have anyone to depend on. As former foster kids, we don’t trust a lot of people. We’ve been let down by people we trusted the most. I feel like the younger kids, they need a good social worker, they can trust. I know a lot of homeless kids seem hopeless but they’re really not. All it takes is just a good person to step into their life. You don’t even have to involve yourself that much. All you have to do is offer just a little bit of help. It’s not hard to change their lives. It’s not hard at all. I was one of them.”
Lynette Eddy sits in front of the You, a resource center for at-risk, runaway and homeless kids which opened last year.
On Lynette Eddy
"You can be having the worst day, and just her presence alone just lifts your spirits. The things she’s doing is so selfless. It’s really beautiful. You don’t find a lot of people like that.”