Indian Creek High School senior Joshua Breeden sits in a car Jan. 18 gifted to him through advocacy group KIC-IT’s Youth Ally for Homeless Education and Prevention program.
There were times when getting through senior year seemed like an almost impossible task.
As of October, Indian Creek High School senior Joshua Breeden has been, by definition, homeless. He had a tumultuous relationship with his father’s side of the family. His father kicked him out of his house toward the end of sophomore year, so he had to turn to his paternal grandparents. That didn’t work either, as after a year, tensions were growing in the household, Breeden said.
“With my dad, it was no notice, it was ‘get out now.’ With my grandparents, there was tension building up for a while,” he said. “It was scary at first. I am a very organized person. Before, I had my life planned out, then, it was all gone. You don’t know what to expect or where you’re going the next day.”
Moving in with his mother wasn’t an option unless he transfers schools, so Breeden told his friends about his home life. One friend, fellow Indian Creek senior Brianna Rund, agreed to take him in if he decided to move out. So one day, Breeden decided to pack a bag, leave home, go to work, and instead of going back to his grandparents, move in with Rund.
“We got close toward the end of junior year. We spent all of summer together, I got along with her family and she took me to Universal Studios in Florida,” Breeden said. “When I got kicked out, it was a no-brainer for her to take me in. When I was crying telling her I didn’t know what to do, she said ‘stop crying and move in with me.’ She made me feel supported.”
Since Breeden didn’t have a permanent address, however, he met the legal definitions of homelessness. That’s where KIC-IT came in. The organization has lead the effort in Johnson County to end youth homelessness since 2011, providing support for people 16 to 25 years old who were experiencing homelessness by connecting them with resources, such as employment and housing opportunities, according to the organization’s website.
In September, KIC-IT created the YAHEP program, which stands for Youth Ally for Homeless Education and Prevention, partnering with local high schools to try and identify students who might need their services. Breeden was one of those students, said Katie Schwarz, KIC-IT’s executive director.
“A lot of youth we see come into KIC-IT have dropped out of school or not finished school and have experienced homelessness,” she said. “We’re trying to work with teens to break the cycle earlier while they’re still in school so they can stay on track and graduate. With the students we’re connected to with Indian Creek as part of the YAHEP program, transportation is one of the barriers in need for all our youth.”
So Leslie Pemberton, a YAHEP coach, offered Breeden a deal: if he got his driver’s license and kept up with his school work, he would get a free car, with gas and insurance his only responsibilities, Breeden said.
“I told her my story and she said ‘by definition, you are homeless. My name is Leslie, and I would love to help you,’” he said. “She asked me how much I made monthly, and said ‘I think it would be in your best interest to get a car from us.’ She trusted me, helped me and provided me with a car.”
KIC-IT donated nine cars to youth and young adults who had the greatest need for one last year, including one student who attended Simon Youth Academy in Whiteland. Breedan, however, is the first person in one of the six Johnson County high schools to receive a car as part of the YAHEP program, thanks to a donor who gave away his Mitsubishi Endeavor that was sitting unused in his driveway.
That car arrived the morning of Jan. 18, surprising Breedan. With the car, he can reach his job at Ritter’s Frozen Custard in Franklin more easily, not relying on Rund’s parents to drive him. He can also go to school by himself without relying on his friends to take him there, Breedan said.
“You’re kind of stuck in one place for part of your life, you can’t move forward,” he said. “I need a vehicle to get a job. I kind of felt like a charity case constantly asking for a ride to school and to work.”
The entire experience taught Breedan not to be ashamed of his circumstances, he said.
“Don’t be afraid to rely on people in your life who are willing to help you. Don’t feel ashamed to take the opportunities people are ready to give to you,” Breedan said. “KIC-IT is an unbelievable organization, they never hesitated to help me. They supported me through all of it.”
For students who are in need of a helping hand, a donated car can mean a world of difference, Schwarz said.
“You don’t have to worry about walking in freezing cold weather or walking in the rain, so it’s just eliminating that barrier,” she said, “This helps promote their independence, it helps you get control of your life, increases your self-esteem. It helps validate you to say ‘I am capable, I am worthy, I can do these things.’ It’s part of the healing process, changing your life and rewriting a new narrative.”
