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Staciion Kelley knows what it’s like to face adulthood without a safety net. After aging out of foster care, she was left without stable housing or strong support, unsure of what her future might hold.

With the help of MHALA’s Transition-Age Youth (TAY) Program — and her own persistence — Staciion found more than housing. She built stability, purpose, and a circle of support she could trust. Today, she is comfortably housed, has been sober for more than three years, and is thriving in a job she loves.

“I feel like a whole different person,” Staciion shared. “I talk to people differently. I set boundaries. I don’t accept a lot of the things I used to accept. I’m able to really be an adult.”

Her remarkable journey was recently featured on Spectrum News 1, highlighting the difference housing and support can make for young people aging out of foster care.

Joanna Domingo, senior clinical director of MHALA’s TAY Program, explained that trust is key to helping youth flourish: “We try to be very welcoming. We meet them where they’re at. Whatever they want in life, we try to help them get there.”

Each year, MHALA serves more than 19,000 individuals with low or no income, including youth leaving foster care — 40% of whom face housing instability within two years. Stories like Staciion’s show why support from our community is so vital: because every young person deserves the chance not just to survive, but to thrive.