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Support Travis and beyond.

Meet Travis.

A couple weeks ago I found this boy on the side of the road. All his bags strapped around him. Sitting on the grass of the boulevard.

Something made me turn around. So I rolled back and pulled up on him.

I said “Yo! Everything good.”

Quiet and nervous He responds “what do you mean?”

I say, “you’re sitting on the side of the road with all this stuff... you need some help?”

He straightens his head up and says, “Naw I’m all good.”

Ok- so I pulled away....
Five hours later, I drive by again. He’s still there! I stop.

“Ayo young buck. I know everything’s not “all good” cause you’re still here. What’s going on?”

He tells me, “I’ve been kicked out, staying at some friends for a couple weeks but now have nowhere left to go.”

I said, “what can I do to help you?”

He shrugs, “I’m all good. I’ll figure it out.”

I rarely take no for an answer. So I said, “here’s my number call me if you can’t figure it out.”

And I drive home.

Around 7pm my phones ringing, random local number. Unusual for my phone. So I answer.

“Hey man, it’s that kid from the side of the road. I’m homeless and I got nowhere to turn anymore. I don’t know why I called you but I literally have no one else to call.”

I tell him, “Ok man, well that’s ok. Cause I’ve been there myself. Why don’t you find your way over to my house at ———- Street and if you can manage that, than I’ll see what I can do to help You.”

Half an hour goes by and I pull in the driveway with my McDonald’s. The kid, sitting beside my garage. I send him to the backyard and tell him I’ll be right out.

I split my McDonald’s in half and bring it out with a glass of water for us both. I tell him if he’s gonna get help from me I’m going to need to know the whole story.

For half an hour I sit there as this 18 year old kid is crying his eyes out, with a slowl drawl and an impeded communication ability.
From end to end he explains how his dad was an addict his mom abuses him all the time until he finally got kicked out at 18.

Now, I get it as a parent kids need to be on their own. And 18 isn’t too early. Hell I was on my own at 13. Shit, I was selling crack at 14.

But this kid couldn’t do anything. It was clear. He was taught nothing about life and seemed as if he had the life skills of someone who’s 12 years old.

He didn’t know about Kijiji, welfare, resumes, finding employment, managing money all he knew was weed and pills and covering up abuse.

So for the next couple weeks Travis became my project. I felt compelled to help and it was clear as day he needed real help.

I don’t have people in my home with my daughter and as a protector I don’t jeopardize the comfortability of the home I provide for my family.

So, I posted Travis up in a hotel for a few days. Over the next few days I brought him over to my house in the day time allowing him into my office where I taught him lessons on life. And remaining him the risks of illegal activity. I taught him the avenues we can exhaust when he have nothing left. I showed him about searching for apartments and finding employment and the different websites available. We applied for welfare together and I walked him through seeking out housing.

I drove him all around the city for a couple days to view rooms for rent and bachelor apartments. Then I taught him about repaying people when they put out for us and made him cut my grass while I made us some Peanut butter sandwiches (y’all know I can’t cook) So we had lunch while I gave him some more education.

Yet, after the three days we still had no responses and welfare hadn’t contributed yet.

So I had no other choice but to put him to work in exchange for a place to stay as it was now costing me 150$ a day to keep the kid safe and fed.

So I drove the kid up North got him some work clothes and checked him into another hotel near one of my businesses and gave him some spending money and showed him how to get to work and gave him some tips on what to buy for groceries and snacks to reduce his budget.

After a few days up there he finally got a call!

Now here we are today 2 weeks later and I’m proud to say the Young Buck has moved into his new place he shares with some other young men. $700 a month even with his own bathroom!

Today He sent me and update and video called me to show me his new setup.

I have to say, I couldn’t be more proud of him and maybe not even more proud of myself.

Sometimes people end up infront of you for a reason. Don’t overlook and don’t ever judge.

Before you know it, that could be you.

Update- initially Trav was ok with it but now feels Uncomfortable.... even though Toronto is a large place he worries all of his friends may recognize him from the post.

I was hoping to inspire 200 of my friends and maybe 10 Of them pay it forward but this has multiplied exponentially we had no idea it would touch this many lives.

Organizer

Vinny Brioni
Organizer
Bracebridge, ON

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