Dallas Hope CharitiesDallas Hope Charities
At just 22 years old, Leslie has already lived through enough hardship to last a lifetime. But today, she’s focused on her goals—earning a degree in ultrasound technology, building credit, and moving into her own apartment. It’s a dramatic shift from where she was just over a year ago: homeless, alone, and unsure of where she would sleep at night. Since moving into the Hope Center, a transitional living facility for LGBTQ+ youth, Leslie has rediscovered not just stability, but hope.
Leslie’s journey to the Hope Center began with the kind of misfortune that unravels a life in an instant. Originally from a small town out of state, she moved to Texas in search of better opportunities. For a while, things were going as planned—she had housing, a roommate, and a job. Then her home burned down.
“I was in a relationship at the time,” she recalled, “but it wasn’t good for me, so I had to leave. That meant I didn’t have anywhere to go.”
Alone in a new city, without family or friends, Leslie found herself experiencing homelessness. She spent nights in her car and in places she didn’t feel safe, sometimes staying with people who made unwanted advances just so she could have access to a shower and a bed.
“People don’t understand how exhausting it is to wake up and immediately think, Where am I going to brush my teeth? Where am I going to eat? Where can I be safe today?” she said. “It’s anxiety all the time. And eventually, that turns into hopelessness.”
People don’t understand how exhausting it is to wake up and immediately think, Where am I going to brush my teeth? Where am I going to eat? Where can I be safe today?
Leslie found the Hope Center after being turned away from another shelter that didn’t have space. What she thought would be a sterile, impersonal environment turned out to be something entirely different.
“I thought it was going to be like a typical shelter,” she said. “But it’s not. It’s a home. It’s safe. It’s clean. There’s food. And they actually help you.”
The change in her mental health was immediate. No longer anxious about basic needs, she began focusing on her future. “I could finally go to work and know that when I got off, I had somewhere to go. I could take a shower, lie down, and rest. That’s a huge deal.”
Counseling services and occupational therapy support further helped her reclaim her goals. With the help of a staff member, Leslie narrowed down her school choices and began planning to pursue a career as an OB/GYN ultrasound technician—an interest driven by her love of science and the promise of a stable, meaningful career.
“Before I got here, I always had big dreams,” she said. “But when you’re trying to survive, you lose sight of them. Now I feel like I can get there.”
I thought it was going to be like a typical shelter,” she said. “But it’s not. It’s a home. It’s safe. It’s clean. There’s food. And they actually help you.
Leslie is focused now on rebuilding her life step by step—finishing school, getting a new car, and eventually moving into her own apartment. She’s realistic about the challenges ahead, but for the first time in a long time, she’s also optimistic.
“If someone’s in the same spot I was, I’d just tell them: keep going. I used to think it wouldn’t get better, but it does. I’m proof that it does.”
