When Alex looks back on his childhood, he remembers feeling neglected, unwanted, and alone.
As a young child, Alex experienced abuse and neglect. He was shuffled from home to home, never quite sure where he belonged. At one point, he was even living in a car. The instability weighed heavily on him.
“If I hadn’t gotten help from Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, I think I would have been on the street somewhere,” Alex says.
Through Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi’s Nā ʻOhana Pūlama and Horizons programs, Alex was placed in a safe and nurturing foster home with Jordan and Casey Lee. For the first time, he experienced the kind of family environment he had always wanted.
“I feel really close with my foster parents,” he shares. “I don’t necessarily call them Mom or Dad, but I look to them as Mom or Dad. They gave me the family I always wanted.”
Over the years, that relationship has grown into something lasting and meaningful. “I can actually say that I love them,” Alex says.
Alex credits Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi not only with giving him stability, but with teaching him how to find his voice. “Speak up for myself. Don’t be afraid to tell someone how I feel. If something’s wrong, say it’s wrong.”
He also learned independence and self-worth. “It taught me how to take care of myself and just be myself. I don’t have to do the wrong thing just to be liked.”
Today, Alex is employed as a kitchen manager and remains close with Jordan and Casey.
“The staff are dedicated people,” he says. “They’re there when you need them. I’m very grateful. It’s something I’ll always remember and take to heart.”
Stories like Alex’s reflect the mission of Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi: helping individuals and families overcome some of life’s toughest challenges with compassion, dignity, and hope. Every day, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi walks alongside children, youth, and families facing crisis, providing safe homes, counseling, life skills, and the support needed to build brighter futures.
In 2025 alone, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi served more than 74,000 families and individuals across the islands, helping people move from uncertainty to stability and from hardship to hope. For youth like Alex, that support can mean the difference between surviving and truly belonging.
