Matt's Story - Beverley Lodge

“If it hadn’t been for Beverley Lodge, I don’t know what would have happened to me,” says Matt, senior resident of one of LOFT’s youth co-ops. “My brother and I left home at the same time, two years ago. I’m 19 and he’s 17. Now, my brother is a cocaine dealer, has a major criminal record and has a baby to support. I’m a full-time student at York University, I plan to attend law school after doing my B.A., and then I plan to practice law.  We both left the same home under the same circumstances and fortunately for me, I found this program that really worked for me. I wish my brother was as fortunate.”

For most of Matt’s life, he did not get a helping hand and was constantly beaten down. On the street after leaving an abusive home life, Matt had to deal with finding a place to stay. Life on the street is very hard.  He lived in hostels for a while, but needed more stable arrangements in order to finish school.  He realized that, in order to change his life, he needed an education.

When Matt found out about Beverley Lodge, he thought it was another place like all the rest. “When I first went to the Lodge and they asked me what I wanted to be, I was shocked!  Nobody had ever cared enough about me to ask or to think that I could be more than a product of my situation.”

“I know they cared. They cared enough to make me work out a plan for my future and they made me be very realistic in what it was I could hope to achieve. We started out small, with simple tasks that I could easily achieve and then worked to the bigger more important issues of my future and my abilities.”

“I will always be thankful to LOFT for giving me the ability to see my future, and for giving me the hope and the knowledge that I could be the person that I dreamed of becoming. With their help I am on my way. If one day, I can be a lawyer, hopefully then maybe homelessness will be a thing of the past.”

Matt is an exceptional young man. He is on his way to having the life that he deserves. Although Matt’s success story is not the only one of it’s kind, we need more of them. Luckily, he got the help and the direction that he needed.

“Please support the work of LOFT... not just for me and my dream, but for all the kids, like my little brother, who walked down a different road and may never have the chance to turn around.”

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