EMPTY STOCKING FUND: Urban Peak a haven for troubled youth in area
Jaclyn's arms, thighs and lower torso are covered with the scars of her pain.
After her stepfather starting molesting her, Jaclyn repeatedly took a razor to her skin, replacing the emotional pain with physical pain. Eventually her self-destruction landed her in Cedar Springs Behavioral Health Systems facility, where her secret was uncovered.
But her struggles continued. Her stepfather admitted what he'd done, but her mother blamed her for the family's disintegration. When she turned 18 this year, her mom kicked her out of the house.
"I never connected with my mom," Jaclyn said.
Born in Virginia, Jaclyn was raised in Germany and lived with her German grandparents for a while. But when the military family moved to Colorado Springs, she had to come, too. She said she felt uprooted and has had a difficult time adjusting to life in the United States.
A neighbor took her in for a while after she was kicked out, but eventually she landed back in Cedar Springs for two weeks of treatment. From there, she went to Urban Peak, a nonprofit agency in Colorado Springs that assists homeless youth. She has been living in the 10-bed women's dorm for about two months while she works to catch up at school and find a job.
It's safe, she said, it feels homey, and she doesn't have to worry about finding food. She said she doesn't know where she'd be without Urban Peak, one of 14 local charities that receive donations from The Gazette/El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund.
Now, Jaclyn's is working to bring her grades back up, graduate from high school and get into college.
"It's very stressful for me because I missed a lot of school," she said. "I usually have straight A's but now I have a few C's. I want to go to college, and I want to be a translator."
She hopes to move into one of Urban Peak's transitional apartments next semester.
Tenants are required to pay a portion of their income for rent, but it goes into a savings account that they get back when they're ready to take the next step.
"I hope I will be able to go to college," she said.
TO DONATE
Make a secure donation at www.fillanemptystocking.org. Call 476-1673 to make a credit card or stock donation over the phone. Checks can be made payable to the Empty Stocking Fund and mailed to P.O. Box 400, Colorado Springs, CO 80901.
