In high school, 17-year-old Lexi struggled with disordered eating. Her anorexia led to body-image issues, suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors. She was in a residential facility to receive treatment for her anorexia
![Determination and support helps Lexi overcome challenges](https://youthvillages.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/young-womans-hand-with-bracelets-1080x675.jpg)
In high school, 17-year-old Lexi struggled with disordered eating. Her anorexia led to body-image issues, suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors. She was in a residential facility to receive treatment for her anorexia
At times, the hurt is too unbearable to return. When ties are cut, it can affect more than immediate family. It can reverberate through the community and sever bonds with friends, acquaintances and extended relatives. For Clarita, the pattern of hurt took a turn for the worse when she was 8 years old.
For many college students, the campus becomes like home. For LifeSet participant Zephaniah, college is literally providing him a home.
A new mental health service is expanding in Eastern North Carolina. The program is part of Youth Villages, a private non-profit group that helps children and families.
James Kirkwood grew up wanting to be a pastor – and a police officer. He did both. Kirkwood served for more than 30 years with the Memphis Police Department, rising to the rank of colonel, leading two of the city’s police precincts.
Nineteen-year-old Trinity has learned many life skills through the Youth Villages LifeSet program, which serves as a bridge from foster care to successful adulthood and helps young adults build the skills they need to live independently and successfully.
How do you kick off the official start of summer? For the Youth Villages Leadership Council, the answer was a sailboat cruise around Boston Harbor with 75 of their friends.
Leaders from all 20 implementing LifeSet partner agencies attended a convening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to learn more about effectively implementing the program model and to share insights from implementations in their states and jurisdictions.
At 6 years old, Brett entered foster care. He spent 11 years in and out of group homes and different foster placements. Finding a permanent home felt like it was never going to happen for him.
LifeSet helps young people identify and achieve their goals, but it also does more. For Tresja, it was the intangible benefits the program provided that meant so much to her.