Quis, 21 years old, grew up in Blythe, CA. He says, “Where I’m from, people are dying left and right.” His mother was a gang member and Quis ended up following in her footsteps because he said they looked out for him and protected him more than his own family did. This isn’t the life he wanted but it’s the life he was born into. Consequently, Quis ended up with severe substance abuse issues. He says that he realized he had a problem when he could not even make it into work without being under the influence. With the plan to stop using drugs and create a life for himself, Quis reached out to his cousin who encouraged him to leave Blythe and come to Orange County for a fresh start.
Quis found a sober living home that would give him leniency on rent until he found a job. While looking for work, his cousin introduced him to StandUp For Kids so he could get a mentor and the extra support he was needing. A couple weeks went by and Quis had still not found a job so the sober living home told him he had to leave. Feeling discouraged, Quis went back to Blythe and when he called to check in with his mentor, he vented about everything that was going on. His StandUp For Kids mentor told him to come back to Orange County and assured him that StandUp For Kids would assist him with rent as long as he was looking for work. Quis says, “Everyone at StandUp For Kids welcomed me with open arms and they were very generous, that means a lot to me.” Not too long after that, Quis got a position working in a warehouse. He started out through a temp agency and, with hard work, got hired on to stay. He is self-supporting and has 10 months sober.
He says, “StandUp For Kids helped me with housing, food, bus passes, pretty much anything that I needed.” When asked how his life has changed because of this support, he says, “I’m sober, I have a clear head, I have a better relationship with my mom and grandma, and I am actually happy.” Quis regularly attends outreach meetings and plans to always stay in contact with his mentor; he loves science and is interested in pursuing a career in that field. He plans to purchase a car in the near future, and says he is most happy just taking life “day by day.”
