My name is Alexis Mendicino and I am a former Casa Youth Shelter resident. I came here about 20 years ago, when I was 15. When I think back on that time in my life, I felt that the world wasn’t safe and I couldn’t talk to anybody, but Casa Youth Shelter felt safe and I felt comfortable here. I stayed at Casa Youth Shelter for about 12 days.

I remember counseling, group counseling in particular. That was my first experience with a therapist and the positivity I got from that experience I’ve carried on since. I’ve gone to therapists over these last 20 years that I find myself comparing to the one that I saw here because even at a young age, I felt that connection and I felt safe.

I also remember working with my parents in family counseling, which really opened the lines of communication between us. The things I was struggling with, it was natural to kind of close myself off. When you’re in that frame of mind, it’s not easy to talk and I think that being here at CYS didn’t make the door wide open, but it opened the door. And I think that was the big difference, the door had finally been opened.

I think that once that happened, I was able to talk to the therapist about what was going on in my life and the things that I had experienced.

It taught me to say how I feel in that moment, whether it’s good, bad, ugly, it doesn’t matter. And I learned being here at CYS, that it’s okay to not be okay.

When I came to CYS I had people here saying, “You don’t feel great? That’s okay. We’re going to help you get through it, and we’re going to help you figure it out.” You need to do something to make yourself feel better, and that’s something I learned during my time at CYS.

Be open. Be honest. Just never stop communicating. You have to know that there is always somebody who is going to listen.

It’s easy to write somebody off … and it’s really easy to write off teenagers and tell them what you’re feeling, “Oh, you’re just a teenager. Oh, it doesn’t matter. Oh, you’ll get over it.” But that’s not the case. I wonder where I would be if I hadn’t come here.

It was scary to come here at first. Leaving home and friends. I remember the moment my parents came to me saying, “we found this place” and whatever instinct I had inside of me, whatever was in my heart or my mind I said “Ok,” because I knew. I think that’s something that people also need to do, listen. Listen to your kids.

I’m naturally an introvert, but I’m definitely more talkative in my life and it did open me up to say, “I’m important. I matter. And I’m going to get through this.” I’ve carried that with me since.

I think that if you keep an open mind, keep an open heart and you just believe that things are going to get better, they are! There are people here who care.  ❤︎