Sometimes, the right support is all it takes to get your life back on track. That’s exactly what 17-year-old Harry Hill found when he joined our Trails program last year.
Harry became a dad at 14, which changed his life early on. Coupled with various challenges, this led him to drop out of school while grappling with severe depression.
“I really hit rock bottom as soon as I found out I was going to be a dad at 14 because there were problems with me and my ex, and problems with family and school which didn’t help,” he said.
His love for biking brought him to TRAILS, where he found a community that offered not just friendship but also the emotional support he needed to deal with his personal challenges.
“Due to parenting difficulties, I found myself with the wrong crowd doing a lot of bad things. So I started FLO, which is for kids that need more help getting through school and my case manager knew that biking was one of my interests and told me about TRAILS, so I gave it a go.”
In TRAILS, Harry connected deeply with peers and mentors alike.
“I was really struggling with my own problems being a new father without support, but through the TRAILS program, I really connected to the boys on a personal level,” he said.
“One of the guys that mentored us was in the same boat as me and had kids young, wasn’t with the mother and had to share custody. That really helped a lot because he understood and helped me get on track for my daughter.”
Peter Tucker, our First Nations Engagement Adviser, explains that TRAILS is designed to offer a stable, safe space for participants to overcome adversity and carve out their desired path.
“With a lot of the kids we get through the program, there’s drug and alcohol issues and issues at home, so when they come here, it’s something stable to look forward to,” said Peter.
“We all come from very different life circumstances, so we can relate to these guys to make that connection and help guide them to where they want to go.”
What is TRAILS you ask?
TRAILS was a program designed to take young people on a journey of personal change to develop the skills they need to enter the workplace. Over 12 weeks, participants explored work-ready workshops, industry visits and the core themes of respect, teamwork, resilience and goals through practical activities.
You can learn more about our Transition Programs (like TRAILS) by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/3j3k0l4
Back on Track: How the TRAILS Program Transformed Lives Through Support and Mentorship
