At fifteen, Destinee thought she would just get mentorship services from Family & Youth Initiative (DCFYI) but she found something even greater. She met her mentor Tammy and Tammy’s friend Linda at an adventure park event, one of the very first events she attended. (From the picture, you would never guess they had just met, would you?)
Destinee now describes their relationship as “invaluable” and “irreplaceable.” 
“Our relationship is much deeper than mentor and mentee,” says Destinee, who enjoys writing and singing, and adores her four-year-old son Damion. “It is a lifelong relationship, one similar to family.”
It has been almost six years since they met, and the three have come a long way. Before the pandemic, they rarely went more than a week between visits, or two at most. “They bought me groceries when the pandemic started,” Destinee recounted. “They bought my son milk. Anything that I need, if I call them, they have open arms and open ears. They don’t judge me.”
When they’re together, Destinee, Tammy, and Linda enjoy Goodwill shopping, cooking, and working on cars. Thanksgiving 2019, Tammy and Linda took Destinee on a two-week family trip to Illinois, where she relaxed and experienced life on a farm for the first time.
Tammy and Linda provide emotional support and more. To support her in successfully completing a six-week security guard training program, Tammy and Linda opened their home to Destinee and assisted with transportation to and from class. This experience was particularly challenging because it was the first time Destinee was away from her son for an extended period.
“We cried together,” when Destinee had to put Damion back in daycare. That six weeks was a bonding experience that drew them closer, she says.
Destinee is now preparing to age out of foster care and knows she can count on Tammy and Linda to support her in achieving her goals. “They want a great future for me just as much as I do,” she says.
Destinee said she’s learned a lot from hearing about hardships Tammy and Linda have experienced in their lives. “You have to struggle to get through to where you want to be,” she says. But she has also learned that no hardship lasts forever, and that one’s current situation does not define the rest of one’s life.
“They are so giving, and I know I can call them for anything,” says Destinee, who is grateful for all that they’ve done for her and for her son. She knows they will carry this friendship with her always. “I love them so much. I trust them with my life.”