Success Stories

Stories of growth, resilience, and belonging, as told by those who’ve lived them.

Hex’s Story: From Rejection to Real Love

I grew up surrounded by chaos. My dad was in and out of jail for most of my life, and the house I lived in wasn’t safe. But that instability was my normal. It was all I knew.

When I was seven, I watched my dad get arrested in a grocery store parking lot. I didn’t know it then, but that would be the last time I ever saw him outside of prison. Not long after, he was deported. Then my mom went to jail too. With no parents left, my brothers and I were placed in foster care.

I was confused, angry, and ashamed. And I didn’t have anyone to help me process it. At school, I got labeled “the bad kid.” Parents didn’t want their children hanging out with me. People assumed I was trouble, just like my parents. I started to wonder if they were right.

Then I found Project Avary, and everything started to change.

It was the first place in my life where I felt truly accepted. I had adults and peers who saw me, listened to me, and cared for me unconditionally. I could finally talk about my parents being incarcerated, and for once, I wasn’t judged for it.

Today, I’m in college, I have a job, I’m a counselor at Project Avary, and I intern in the office once a week. Avary gave me something I never had before: a real sense of love and belonging. And now I get to be that for other kids who are walking the same path I did.

I think about those kids who hear, “You’re a bad kid” or “I can’t play with you anymore,” and now I get to tell them, “You matter. You are loved. You are good.”

Michelles’s Story: From Alone to Belonging

My dad and I were very close, we did everything together. He was my hero and I was his little girl. But at age 5 my life and my childhood were suddenly turned upside down when dad was arrested and then sent to prison across the country. When dad left there were many tears, I felt so alone and like no one cared about me. Part of me blamed myself for what happened, like if I had done better, been a better daughter, then dad would have remained here with us.

I was shy and embarrassed to talk about my family’s history and my father’s incarceration. My family didn’t talk about it, and no one else really knew about it. So I kept my experience and my feelings to myself. The adults around me didn’t understand how fragile I was because of my father’s incarceration. Being bullied by others only added to the sense of sadness and loneliness. I carried all that sadness and grief inside me, on my own, and this made me feel even more isolated and alone in the world.

But then I discovered an amazing place called Project Avary, and I met other children and adults who could understand what I had been through. Avary gave me a safe space where I could speak openly about my experiences and I don’t feel alone anymore.

Today I am part of the Avary office staff and an Avary counselor, I can help other kids who are experiencing the same isolation that I felt. Project Avary provides kids with an environment where it’s safe to share your truth, and in that sharing the barriers come down, we’re slowly healed, and we can truly shine as the brilliant human beings that we really are. When we feel healed and whole, we are empowered and we have so much to offer to the world!

Project Avary has made a huge impact on every aspect of my life. I am extremely grateful that my brother and sister are now benefiting from Avary as well. Our family is getting the opportunity to heal our past so that we can have a future that is filled with hope and joy.

Cesar’s Story: From Survival to Leadership

“I have no one to look up to.”
“I’ll never become anything.”
“I’ll be stuck in this cycle forever.”

For a long time, I believed those words. My father was incarcerated for my entire life. My mom and I lived in shelters, moved constantly, and barely had stability. From the time I was five, I was helping raise my younger siblings. I had to grow up fast, and I never really got to be a kid.

At school, people judged me for things I couldn’t control. I heard over and over again that I would end up just like my dad. A gang member. A prisoner. A lost cause. I started to wonder… were they right?

Then, at eight years old, I found Project Avary. I still remember that first summer camp. For the first time, I laughed without worrying. I played. I felt free. Someone was taking care of me for once, and it changed everything.

At Avary, I found what I was missing. Role models. Stability. A family. I met other kids who knew what I was going through. I finally felt seen and valued. My story shifted from brokenness to possibility.

Now, I’m 25 and a Camp Counselor and Lead Counselor for Avary’s National Online Program. Because I received love, I now have love to give back. I get to help younger kids see what’s possible for them. And I tell them what someone once told me: “You are not alone.” Those are such powerful words!

Project Avary has been part of my life for over 17 years. It gave me a place to grow, to lead, and to come home to. It still does.