Homeless to hopeful: one Club kid’s story
The odds were stacked against Nick Curry.
At 16, he was homeless. For years, he’d known his mom could not care for him. And soft-spoken Nick realized he could no longer live with his father, who was physically and emotionally abusive.
“I needed to live on my own, and I did not know how I would do that,” Nick said.
At this life-changing moment, he turned to those who had been there for him since age 7 – the people at Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. Club staff members helped him find a place to live. They made sure he was on a path to finish high school. They helped him see a future that was much brighter than his past.
“I’m so glad the Club was there to help,” Nick said.
It was not easy. In order to pay his living expenses, Nick worked multiple jobs. At one point in his life, he actually juggled five jobs at the same time – at Heinen’s, Cleveland Botanical Garden, BGCC, the Cleveland Indians and a cleaning company. “It did,” he said calmly, “keep me pretty busy.”
Nick graduated from Washington Park Environmental Studies High School in June. This fall, he enrolled at Cuyahoga Community College, where he is studying business administration. He then intends to get a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University. He is undaunted by the circumstances that could have left him without much reason for hope.
“It’s a lesson for me for one day when I have kids,” he said. “I will know to treat people better, and to be a better parent.”