Roy Juarez Jr.

And I remember glancing back to the very back of the room where I had sat as a homeless kid. And I'm not supposed to be there. And I said, man, if I could have just run to him, meaning my younger self, and tell him, don't give up, life will get better, but you have to be here to see it.

You're not going to believe that you're eventually going to be close to your mom again, that you're going to have nieces and nephews that you absolutely love, that you're going to see the things that you have seen, right? And I share that with kids because I also want them to know that what they're going through at that moment, there is a future.

You're not going to believe that you're eventually going to be close to your mom again, that you're going to have nieces and nephews that you absolutely love, that you're going to see the things that you have seen, right? And I share that with kids because I also want them to know that what they're going through at that moment, there is a future.

You're not going to believe that you're eventually going to be close to your mom again, that you're going to have nieces and nephews that you absolutely love, that you're going to see the things that you have seen, right? And I share that with kids because I also want them to know that what they're going through at that moment, there is a future.

They have a future that belongs to them, not to their situation, that belongs to them, not to their family environment, not to their socioeconomic environment. It belongs to them, but they have to put in the work to get there. But they don't have to do it alone because there are people who believe in them and people want to help them get there.

They have a future that belongs to them, not to their situation, that belongs to them, not to their family environment, not to their socioeconomic environment. It belongs to them, but they have to put in the work to get there. But they don't have to do it alone because there are people who believe in them and people want to help them get there.

They have a future that belongs to them, not to their situation, that belongs to them, not to their family environment, not to their socioeconomic environment. It belongs to them, but they have to put in the work to get there. But they don't have to do it alone because there are people who believe in them and people want to help them get there.

I, uh, I became homeless officially at the age of 14. And I say officially because it all started when I was about 12. My parents were going through a very violent divorce, but one week my mom would take him back, the next week he would have to be gone.

I, uh, I became homeless officially at the age of 14. And I say officially because it all started when I was about 12. My parents were going through a very violent divorce, but one week my mom would take him back, the next week he would have to be gone.

I, uh, I became homeless officially at the age of 14. And I say officially because it all started when I was about 12. My parents were going through a very violent divorce, but one week my mom would take him back, the next week he would have to be gone.

And so it got to the point that I started to defend my mother physically whenever she, I was always with her, always protecting her, always trying to be there to support her. So when my dad came home, I remember one time he said to her, you need to make a choice. Do you want your son or do you want me? Right. And I mean, that hurt because I'm Roy Waters, Jr. I carry his name.

And so it got to the point that I started to defend my mother physically whenever she, I was always with her, always protecting her, always trying to be there to support her. So when my dad came home, I remember one time he said to her, you need to make a choice. Do you want your son or do you want me? Right. And I mean, that hurt because I'm Roy Waters, Jr. I carry his name.

And so it got to the point that I started to defend my mother physically whenever she, I was always with her, always protecting her, always trying to be there to support her. So when my dad came home, I remember one time he said to her, you need to make a choice. Do you want your son or do you want me? Right. And I mean, that hurt because I'm Roy Waters, Jr. I carry his name.

And I said, you know what, mom? I said, you don't have to make a choice. I'll leave. And I remember in that one instant calling this woman from the church and I said, well, please come get me. Please come get me. Please come get me. It was Easter. And she's like, OK, I'll come get you. So she comes and gets me and I spend Easter with them. But what breaks my heart is when I think about my mom.

And I said, you know what, mom? I said, you don't have to make a choice. I'll leave. And I remember in that one instant calling this woman from the church and I said, well, please come get me. Please come get me. Please come get me. It was Easter. And she's like, OK, I'll come get you. So she comes and gets me and I spend Easter with them. But what breaks my heart is when I think about my mom.

And I said, you know what, mom? I said, you don't have to make a choice. I'll leave. And I remember in that one instant calling this woman from the church and I said, well, please come get me. Please come get me. Please come get me. It was Easter. And she's like, OK, I'll come get you. So she comes and gets me and I spend Easter with them. But what breaks my heart is when I think about my mom.

I'm sure he left too. So she literally spent Easter alone. I left, he left. And so it was a constant going back and forth until one day my mom finally just said, you know what, enough's enough. I want you out, get out, get out. But at that point, my dad was like, if I can't have you, no one's going to have you. So we had to go into hiding. And we started moving from home to home to home.

I'm sure he left too. So she literally spent Easter alone. I left, he left. And so it was a constant going back and forth until one day my mom finally just said, you know what, enough's enough. I want you out, get out, get out. But at that point, my dad was like, if I can't have you, no one's going to have you. So we had to go into hiding. And we started moving from home to home to home.

I'm sure he left too. So she literally spent Easter alone. I left, he left. And so it was a constant going back and forth until one day my mom finally just said, you know what, enough's enough. I want you out, get out, get out. But at that point, my dad was like, if I can't have you, no one's going to have you. So we had to go into hiding. And we started moving from home to home to home.

And every time he would find us, we would have to take the sheets off our bed, put them on the floor, put our clothes in the middle, and we were gone every single time he found us. And around 14 years old is when I finally became homeless on my own. My mom had met a man who was helping her, and he said, I'll help you come live with me. But the only catch was that he didn't want kids.