180 Degrees | Turning Lives Around

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  • News
    • From the CEO
    • Our Stories
  • Donate
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  • About Us
    • Annual Report
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
    • Leadership
    • Mission
  • Youth Shelters
    • Bed Availability
    • Brittany's Place
    • Hope House
    • Onward House
    • St. Cloud Youth Shelter
    • VonWald Youth Shelter
  • Community Programs
    • Clifton Place Adult Residential
    • All Children Excel
    • Foster Care
    • SAFE
    • Safe Harbor Navigator: East Metro
    • Youth Vocational Program
  • Get Involved
    • Employment
    • Events
    • Speaking Engagments
    • Volunteer
  • News
    • From the CEO
    • Our Stories
  • Donate
    • Wish List

Our Stories

Carla's Story

11/17/2020

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Since 2015, over 450 girls
​
at Brittany's Place received support for being
​sex trafficked.

Carla was one of these young women.
​One afternoon, Carla made a hurried call, fearing for her life. For the past year she’d been sexually trafficked and trying to survive. She needed help getting out.  

Born to a mother with HIV and struggling with drug addiction, 17-year-old Carla had experienced a lifetime of poverty and trauma, including the devastating death of her brother. Even still, when a social worker planned to remove Carla from the home, she fled. Arriving in Minneapolis with no money or plan, and a small bag of clothes, she lived on the streets while holding down a part-time job.  

With temperatures dropping and no place to go, it was hard to refuse an offer to move in with Ann - a woman she met one night. However, it soon became obvious the housing was not free.
​Carla was soon being trafficked around the Twin Cities and emotionally abused.  
​That’s when Carla made the call to Brittany’s Place, 180 Degrees’ emergency shelter for youth who are at risk of or experiencing sexual exploitation. Carla describes the day she arrived. “I was scared. My anxiety was going through the roof. But I knew my life had a purpose and this was my last chance.” 

Carla was welcomed and offered food, water, and clean clothes. That evening, she slept in a private room and for the first time in her life. She finally felt safe.  
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Gradually, Carla started to trust a few people at Brittany's Place. Ms. Adelaide shampooed and braided her hair. Rhonda, the educator, encouraged her to give school another chance. The peer support groups helped make positive, healing connections with others in the program. 

After nine months at Brittany’s Place, and with help from a Case Manager, Carla secured supportive housing in Minneapolis, starting her new chapter.

Now, she's living independently, going to work, and has access to counseling services and other crucial resources. Carla is empowered, and continues to heal and grow.
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​Your gift empowers young survivors of sex trafficking achieve safety, stability, and a brighter future.

​P.S. Every donation until November 19 will be MATCHED up to $5,000! That means your impact will be doubled.
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Mila's Story

11/16/2020

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On any given night, almost ​1,500 youth in Minnesota are alone and experiencing homelessness.

For 16-year-old Mila, this was her reality.  ​
Mila was homeless off and on for the last few years. Living with an emotionally abusive parent, she says, “made it very hard for me to create and maintain growth and success in many different aspects of my life.”  
 
After an especially bad fight with her parents, Mila ran – again. That night she slept outside, and the next day her friend drove her to Hope House, 180 Degrees’ Emergency Youth Shelter in Chanhassen.    
​Arriving hungry and exhausted, Mila was grateful when she was offered a sandwich, a shower, and space to herself. Staff called Mila's parent, but tempers were still hot.  

Mila was quickly connected to an in-house Case Manager to get the support she needed. That's when she started to understand what peace and safety felt like.  
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Having her basic needs met, and a team of staff who empowered her, she could start focusing on her goals. “I want to be doing work that supports me financially, and that inspires me. I want to make a positive impact on the world with my life and career”.  
 
Then, with help from a mental health counselor, Mila and her family were able to reconnect. After some important sessions of learning how to communicate with each other, they were able to agree on how to move forward -- together. 
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Your gift provides safe, emergency shelter and services for Minnesota teens like Mila.

P.S. Every donation until November 19 will be MATCHED up to $5,000! That means your impact will be doubled.
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David's Story

11/13/2020

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​​​In Minnesota, about 
185 youth each week
​go into foster care.

David was one of them.
David was living in a trailer in Rochester with his six siblings, with parents who were rarely around to take care of the seven children. With a stressful and unpredictable home life, David started having trouble in class. It became increasing hard to find the motivation to study and the energy to learn. Soon, David started skipping school.    
   
When David turned 13 years old, a social worker recognized that home wasn’t safe for him and his siblings. A foster family in the 180 Degrees network was able to take David and one of his brothers safely into their home. For two years, foster parents Sherry and Malcolm provided the steady supply of love, structure, and support they needed.     
In a stable environment, and with a caring family, David started to grow. He started going back to school and studying. He started working at a part-time job. By the time he was a high school senior, David was able to walk across the stage to get his diploma and graduate. 
​

He didn't stop there. David went on to study at Rochester Community College for two years, and then went into the Air Force to serve his country. 
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Because he was given the support and shelter at a crucial time in his life, he was able to start healing and grow into the person he is today.
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​Your gift ensures youth get the care they need from a supportive and loving foster family. 

​P.S. Every donation until November 19 will be MATCHED up to $5,000! That means your impact will be doubled.
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