So says Anthony Green, a student at the Turning Leaf Project. And he should know: his life began differently from so many of our other students. He had a happy childhood, a stable family life – they should have added up to a happy, stable life for him. But Anthony lost his way, addicted to … Read more
This was the case for Tony. His was a single-parent household with four kids to feed. His mama did her best, and so did he as he got older, trying to make a life for himself and his own child. When it became impossible to support his family on the straight-and-narrow path, he found other … Read more
At the time of our writing this post, our country is tense. We’re in the throes of a pandemic the likes of which many of us wouldn’t have imagined in our worst nightmares. “Quarantine” and “lockdown” have become words well-known by the tiniest children. Incomprehensible numbers of lives have been lost to a virus we … Read more
If you live in Charleston and go downtown on a weekend, chances are you’ve been approached by a little boy trying to sell you his handmade palmetto roses. Chances are he’s black, and chances are you’ve said no, and gone on with your walk or your fancy dinner. Each of those little boys has a … Read more
Visibility is key to a healthy childhood. Kids who feel invisible, unseen, tend to either fade into the background, or blaze forward into extremes. Both are dangerous paths to tread, with many obstacles waiting to drag you down. This is the story of Tyrone, a quiet, private child who never had anyone tell him there … Read more
For our first post in the #tlpstories series we sat down with our student Byron to learn about his story. We talked about his childhood, the decisions he made that kept him cycling in and out of prison, what brought him to Turning Leaf, and where he is taking his life now. His is a … Read more
We are so proud of how far you’ve come, Sinclair! Thank you for sharing your story. * * * * Sinclair’s childhood was loud: seventeen people lived crowded together in his grandmother’s 5-bedroom house. He was surrounded by sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, but most especially his parents and his granny. Granny’s rules were strict, he … Read more
Sometimes rough childhoods lead people to criminal acts. Sometimes a lack of family, support, safe housing and warm clothes leads to heartache. Not always though. Sometimes it’s the lure of a life lived in the “extra” lane that sets you on a rollercoaster that has the highest highs you can imagine…but also the lowest lows. … Read more
