You Saved Me. You Saved My Life.

You saved me. You saved my life.
With tears in my eyes, I whispered these words to my doctor at Outside In. It is also how I feel about you and your support. As a transgender kid with undiagnosed mental health issues, I was on and off the streets since I was 16. I didn’t have the words to express what was going on in my brain. I struggled to remain focused, hold jobs, and stay clean. At 22, I decided I had no future. I found someone to look after my cat, locked myself in a room, and wrote a goodbye letter to my family.

I needed hope. I needed help. Just in time, I found Outside In.
A friend knew I was hurting and brought me to Outside In’s clinic. It was my first time in a health care setting where people spoke to me honestly. They heard me. They treated me with dignity and respect. In addition to compassionate doctors, they offered warm food, safe housing, and a caring community.

They even helped me to enroll in college! And two years later, I came back to Outside In—as a certified Medical Assistant. I was helping people the way I was helped.

The experience transformed me.
Today, I am honored to serve on Outside In’s Board of Directors. I share my experience of what it’s really like to need our services and add my voice to shaping the organization’s future.

Because of Outside In, I am leading a successful, stable life helping others.

Because of you, Outside In is helping people like me.

When you give to Outside In, you are changing lives.