Raised by a mother who was addicted to crystal meth, Garrett never knew what each day would bring. When his mom was happy he could play alone in his room.
When his mom was mad the beatings would start. Garrett was eventually removed by DCS after the situation in his home had deteriorated to such a degree that it couldn’t be ignored.
After five years in foster care, he was sent to live with his grandmother, who was on a fixed income. Upon enrolling in middle school, Garrett was accepted into Youth On Their Own, which encouraged him to make school a priority and provided him with food, school supplies, and a small monthly stipend. As a part of the YOTO family, Garrett felt – for the first time in his life – that he mattered. He began to apply himself, and his grades went from mostly Cs to As and Bs.
Garrett is a big-time sports fanatic. When he made the final cut on his school’s basketball team but had no athletic shoes, YOTO helped him. He is on track to graduate with his class and hopes to play college basketball while pursuing a four-year degree.
