PHOENIX — "It ran in my family until it ran into me," David Mayles proclaimed.
He spent his childhood in and out of foster care homes. While he was grateful for the love and support of foster families, he wanted to break out on his own and provide for himself.
"My mom and dad were in and out of jail and like I said, patterns, I'm trying to make the difference in the patterns," he told 12News.
Forced out of his home at age 12, Mayles found himself with little to no roots to recall. He faced housing instability and, like many others in our community, ended up dealing with homelessness as he aged out of the system.
"We had foster care come in and they took us out of our home and at first I didn't understand anything, I wasn't allowed to talk to my mom," he added.
Just last month, 12News reported the latest numbers from Maricopa County showed an increase in eviction filings for June. Landlords filed more than 7,200 cases and while officials said it's normal to see upticks in the summer, the impact can last well beyond that timeframe.
"I got to hear of 'Keys to Success' where they were willing to help me do my own independent living, something I needed to get back on track," Mayles said.
The "Rapid Re-housing Program" comes into play for foster kids in our community experiencing homelessness or aging out of the care system. It's just one arm of the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation.
Diane Daily with the foundation said one major cause of all those evictions this year is extraordinarily high rent. This Valley organization is making sure that youth heavily impacted by these evictions get the housing stability in their lives they need.
"You can't work on your long-term goals if you don't know where you're going to be sleeping that night," Daily explained.
She added that over the last 10 years, the need for housing was eminent for foster kids like Mayles.
"This year we've already received 114 referrals for youth on the brink of becoming homeless or are homeless who need this resource to get back on track," she said.
"Keys to Success" also offers support services for education and career planning, an area where Mayles is blossoming. He's gotten back on track by growing a lawn business after benefiting from the services.
"I took a weed eater to my neighbor’s house and did their yard and made 10 dollars. I was so tired that day but so happy that I made money because we were trying to get by and make ends meet," Mayles said.
Mayles never let circumstances stand in the way of his goals. Manicuring yards and enduring manual labor, with peace of mind knowing he has a place to call home at the end of the day.
More details: https://www.affcf.org/
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