Latest / We're With You / From Military Service to Homelessness & Hope | Jexsi Grey
Transcript
- Jexsi Narration: What does it really mean to be set up for success? We often assume that having the right opportunities, working hard, and following a familiar path will lead to a stable and successful life. But what happens when the very path we believe should prepare someone for success leaves them unprepared for what comes next? Jesse Gray grew up in a military family. His mother served in the army and he followed in her footsteps, spending six years in the Air Force. Yet after leaving the military, Jesse found himself navigating a world where he wasn't prepared. His life eventually spiraled into addiction, homelessness, and a loss of identity. Today, Today, Jesse is a successful real estate professional, a father, and a community advocate, helping others find the stability and opportunities he once struggled to find. His story challenges our assumptions about who experiences homelessness, what it takes to rebuild a life, and the people and resources that can make all the difference. Now that Becki/Olivia: Three two one action code. Jexsi: My name's Jesse. grateful to be here today. A little bit about myself. I am a first-generation Jamaican-American, Air Force veteran. Grew up in a single-mother household. She's an army veteran. And as far as checking all the boxes go for adversity and overcoming, that is me. Becki/Olivia: What state did you grow up in? Jexsi: I grew up military. So everywhere. Everywhere. Right, two to four years. I was born in Kleene, Texas. I've never been back there. That was so I could be a citizen. I did some of my growing up in Jamaica. And then from there it was to Alabama, Georgia, Germany. my mom retired in Missouri. after being from Jamaica and she retired in Missouri, that's actually a large part of why I joined the Air Force. I was burned out from military living after like growing up military. My mom's last duty was drill sergeant. So she took that home and grew up in a drill sergeant household. And Becki/Olivia: So, I mean, did you think growing up that you were gonna go into the service? Jexsi: no. No. That's one thing about my journey. I didn't really have a plan. So I had like these childish ambitions. I wanted to be an astronomer. I was little. I really liked the stars and all of that. I wanted to do something in the STEM field. I've always really been into the sciences and what humanity is doing together. So that was the one drive. But then life came along and it came down to what was available. Yeah. Becki/Olivia: Yeah. Jexsi: I mean, I thought about being an athlete for a little bit. I ran track in high school, played basketball as a hobby. But then again, first generation. So I get to America and I see that black and brown people, you know, there is one expectation of them. If I'm tall, they just expect me to be an athlete. I kind of wanted to see what I could do that wasn't what was expected of me. On top of that, getting to America and learning the history of slavery and everything, I'm like learning it alongside everybody else. I'm like, well, what happened for 400 years? And so looking at that, looking at the variables, I wanted to be a cryptological linguist in the Air Force. I went Becki/Olivia: What is that? Jexsi: basically receiving and deciphering codes of other nations, working on like Air Force One with the White House. but The job openings were few and far between. So I settled on nuclear weapons. Becki/Olivia: What made you decide to join because your mom is army? So what made you decide to go for Air Force? Jexsi: partly seeing how that lifestyle was and then her advice to me. She was like, one piece of advice, don't go army. And I mean, I was like, say less. I lived it. And for me, it was also my reasoning. You know, it was more I wanted the benefits, I wanted the education, I wanted to travel. And it seemed like the Air Force offered all that, not necessarily on the front lines. But I did not get to travel as much as I wanted to because nuclear weapons don't move that much. So for my first duty station, I was underground for four. Becki/Olivia: my gosh. Jexsi: Yeah. The nuclear weapons stockpile. Yeah. And I was on the night shift. wow. So circadian rhythm was all out of what hack. Didn't get to travel at all there. And it was a huge blessing. I got my second duty station, which was in the Netherlands. So there were people that were in that career field for 10, 15 years and never got it. Me, I got it after four years. Becki/Olivia: What was like the perception of yourself before and then during? how did you think about yourself or feel about yourself? And did it change? Jexsi: I was really immature in my twenties. I had a inflated sense of ego, really confident. anything's possible. I bought into the mainstream ideology of what it meant to be successful, get money, have women, be flashy, all of the social economic traps that you fall into if you have. media and TV as your parent. So Which, you know, down the road with wiser eyes, I saw I was way off the mark. But I you know, I would I didn't see the challenges, I saw opportunity, I saw make the best of it. I was in my partying phase in my twenties. That kind of led into like all the pitfalls and things I fell into Becki/Olivia: So how Jexsi Narration: again. For most of his life, the military had been the world Jesse knew. His mother served in the army, and he grew up moving between military communities before spending six years in the Air Force himself. But he'd also watched his mother struggle to find her footing after retirement. And that experience influenced a decision he would eventually make about his own future. Jexsi: that's part of the reason why I didn't retire actually. I saw my mom do her time and then retire and then have to start all over in a world that was unfamiliar. And, you know, that hurt my heart because she had to go work at the PX and then ultimately go back to DOD, which is again the military, because her skill set was so specialized. And I worked on nuclear weapons. I'm like, I'm gonna be in that same scenario times 10. I like my main option was the Department of Energy, which was back in Albuquerque. And so I was like, okay, that doesn't look like what I want to do. So I knew that it was a rough reintegration. And I'd heard the same stories from like her friends that had retired. So I knew that retirement wasn't gonna make sense for what they pay versus what I would have to reskill and do. It just wasn't that. and then For me, I started my separation in the Netherlands. And so their outprocessing program was an afterthought. It was like two weeks of, hey, you want to be able to look for a job and get an apartment super basic. And I'm in the Netherlands and our home base is in Germany, Spangalum, three hours east. So it was just a couple of PowerPoint presentations. And then I'm like, all right, off you go. I think I don't know if they're doing it now, but at the time when I separated, I don't think there was a big enough emphasis on in the military, we coordinate where you live, what you do, how you live life. In the real world, you're gonna have to do that yourself. The training wheels come off. There really needs to be classes around that financial literacy. I got my payment every month. I knew how much to expect. And so I had no financial literacy. I didn't learn adulting outside the military. If they had classes around that, if they did that. I think that would drastically reduce like instances of homelessness because the clients I work with, a big part of that is their lack of financial literacy, you know, and delayed gratification, long-term planning. None of those things were really taught when I was in. All of the training was around being proficient at my job. Becki/Olivia: I think Jexsi Narration: Jesse's separation training lasted only a couple of weeks, but the challenge went beyond finding a job or an apartment. After a lifetime in military communities, even the everyday decisions of civilian life were unfamiliar. Jexsi: you're going into a whole different world. Like I only knew military bases. the way I navigated life was in the confines of military bases, the gym. I almost never left the bases when I was growing up with my mom. You know, like that was a foreign world to me, the normal world, how people interact and have jobs. For me, it was the military commissary is where I shopped at, you know. So small nuances on like comparing prices from different stores and things like that. People don't think about I didn't do that because just had the commissary. We had the restaurants in in the mess hall. So it's it's not like switching jobs. It's switching worlds. Think if there was more time and money invested into the training of people separating as it was going in. You know, I had years of training and retraining for my career field, but a couple of weeks of training separating from one world to another. You know, so we're already having them start on the wrong foot. And then the marketing around Jexsi Narration: After six years in the Air Force, Jesse was ready to begin a new chapter. But leaving the military meant stepping away from the only structure he'd ever really known. He had spent years training for his career, but far less time preparing for what came next. And when it came time to decide where to go and what to do, Jesse didn't have much of a plan. Jexsi: Force. I got out of the Air Force and went to San Francisco. I had a friend, like I think I made two friends in the six years working in that career field. And I had one friend that was separating, and he was like, Hey, come to San Francisco. Didn't know anything about it. Didn't know why he wanted to go there. I was like, okay, I don't have another option. I didn't plan. So there weren't a lot of plans happening at that time. Jexsi Narration: When we think about homelessness, we often picture someone already living on the streets. But getting there isn't always sudden or obvious. For Jesse, it happened gradually. Financial struggles, poor decisions, and a social circle that reinforced his substance use all played a role. And as Jesse puts it, his life eventually Jexsi: It imploded. It took it took a couple of years, but that with the cost of living, I was not prepared for. I ended up getting an apartment that was five thousand a month for a two-bedroom. It's like I can't afford this. I was like, okay, I'm just gonna sublet it, Airbnb. And then while I would Airbnb it, we'd stay at a hotel. So that was officially when I became unhoused, and I didn't realize it yet. So I ended up staying at a hotel. So I'd rented out to cover the cost of the apartment for and all that, partying. Looking for the social circle that's going to feed our habits. So we start compounding the wrong crowds that we're rolling with. And so without knowing it, I'm falling into like the road to prison that I hear about for African American people, just because I had no idea. I had no idea that that's what I was going and how it was panning out. What was optional, recreational, now became like a daily habit. It was going off the rails pretty quickly. Becki/Olivia: curious too during this time did you still have a relationship with your mom in in Missouri? Jexsi: Yes, and I I have a son as well who's 16 now. And so through all that, I would always manage to go see him for birthdays and big events with the family. at the time my family from Jamaica was with us in Missouri. So My son's mother and her family were military. They were in Missouri as well. So it was all of them raising him, taking care of him while I'm out in Europe, while I'm out partying all over. But I would always find my way back to be there for big events and Course he didn't realize I was battling all this as secret. My mom knew though. she was my best friend. She was my best friend. And so I say all that to say that's how I got to San Francisco, where I eventually went back to Missouri to get sober. Jexsi Narration: Jesse described how he lost stable housing, but the consequences reached beyond where he slept. Jexsi: homelessness took away my future. You know, I had no ability to see the future. my future became the next day or two days from now. What was I gonna eat? Where was I gonna stay? for me. Substance abuse didn't lead to my homelessness. It was the compounding of all of these other things, like getting into an apartment way. I would say it amounted to lack of financial literacy and also a poor judge of character of who I surrounded myself with. and then it became more of a coping mechanism. And we see that a lot today. We think people end up homeless because of substance abuse. And while that's the case sometimes, a lot of the times it's because they are coping with the traumatic situation they're in. So it I didn't have a future. It was like, where was I going to stay next? How was I going to make that happen? maintaining the vehicle that I was sleeping out of when I was not at a hotel did a lot of that as well. And I didn't have a future. Becki/Olivia: Did you still feel like Jesse when you were homeless? Was there like a loss of identity at all? Jexsi: So my middle name is Antonio, right? And during that season of my life, I went by Tony middle name. So I was a different person. and to this day, sometimes when people find me, they're like, What's up, Tony? And I know when they knew me from. So I wasn't Jesse at that time. I didn't like the name. I didn't understand why my mom had chosen it. and I don't even remember why Antonio resonated with me, but I went by Tony and then when I got sober, I was ready to step into my name again. So no, I wasn't Jesse at that time. Becki/Olivia: somebody else Jexsi: None of them knew me as Jesse. Jexsi Narration: by the time Jesse describes losing his sense of the future and even going by another name, the familiar stereotypes about homelessness no longer fit his experience. But those assumptions still shape how people are seen and what help they receive. When we picture someone experiencing homelessness, what do we see? Someone struggling with addiction, someone who is mentally ill, dangerous, lazy, or unwilling to help themselves? We may assume they made choices that led them there, or that if they really wanted to change their circumstances, they would. But how much of that picture is based on what we actually know about a person? And how much is shaped by stereotypes, unconscious bias, and our own experiences? We asked Jesse what's wrong with that picture. Jexsi: A lot's Becki/Olivia: Yeah. Jexsi: wrong with that. I'm not gonna pretend to be able to tackle all that because spend years advocating against that, but it's it's the broken system that they are given to work with, and it's the it's the world view that we have when we're stably housed that we expect them to have, and they just don't have it. So we can look at a set of pieces. and resources and organize them in a way that's going to help us move our lives forward. They don't necessarily have that because they weren't equipped with it. We take for granted that they know what we know and they just didn't do the right things with it. And that's not the case. Becki/Olivia: Broken system, not broken person. Absolutely. Yeah. So what do you Jexsi Narration: And even when help is available, knowing where to turn and being able to navigate those resources while experiencing homelessness can be another challenge entirely. Jexsi: And then the marketing around the resources available. Had it not been for the people that know about 211, I wouldn't have known what was available. Cause also that wasn't my worldviewed thing to look for those resources. I tried a little bit in San Francisco and there just wasn't anything that was easily accessible to somebody struggling. That's another thing in a traumatic situation. How they can problem solve is limited and being in a city where there's an abundance of resources, it's not given that people know that. Jexsi Narration: For Jesse, the path out of homelessness wasn't a straight line. As his circumstances in San Francisco continued to deteriorate, he began to recognize that the life he was living couldn't continue. Eventually, he made the decision to return to Missouri where his family was and begin again. Jexsi: And at that point, people around me are starting to overdose. This is 2018, fentanyl starts flooding the street. So people that were doing knew their dosage for heroin were overdosing left and right because fentanyl is like one one hundredth the dosage. so friends of mine started overdosing. guy friends of mine started going to prison for actual hard crimes. And I'm like, okay, the party is over in more ways than one. So I made my way back to Missouri. fortunately for me, none of this was fortunate at the time, but in hindsight, I could see how it all worked out. I got back to Missouri after like the hardest drive east ever. Just because my mind was not where it was, like sanity, reality, just all of that wasn't there. I was a broken man. I get back to Missouri and I get arrested as soon as I get back for paraphernalia. Threw me in jail for 30 days. I used that time to sleep and eat, two things I wasn't really doing up to that point anymore. And I got out in Missouri, St. Robert, Waynesville actually had a program. It's I forget what it's called now, but it was a program for people struggling with alcohol abuse. If you go through that program and graduate, then they would clean your record. My issue was an alcohol abuse, but they didn't have anything else. It's a small town. So I went through that and I was just fine because that was never my issue. But took a bunch of UAs for a year, graduated it, they cleaned my record. And then the pandemic hits. So this is end of 2019. I'm thinking, okay, what am I going to do next? And I remembered back in 2016, I'd seen San Diego. And I used the pandemic to start taking classes for my real estate license and they were paying me as if I was in San Diego, which made all the difference. That was the only reason I was able to come out here on a leap of faith. So end of 2021, I come out here thinking the pandemic's almost over. And it was like a a year left ago. but I came out here with the money I'd saved and a duffel bag. Jexsi Narration: Jesse had gotten sober, begun preparing for a career in real estate. And saved enough to make the move to San Diego. It was a chance to start over. But rebuilding his life would take more than just a fresh start. With damaged credit and no established support network in the city, finding stable housing would be another challenge. And as he would soon discover, the people he met along the way would make all the difference. And he and Jexsi: And Stayed at a hotel off Rose Grants after having lived in hotels for two years. I it was nothing at that point. And found the Rock Church and they connected me with their men's group, told them my story. One of the guys in the group, he was like, Okay, I know somebody you need to meet. And it was Monica Ball at Uplift San Diego. And connected with her. She knew a landlord that would help me get housing. Because at this point, my credit was destroyed. she knew a landlord that would give me a chance just because she referred me. And that's how I got my first apartment here. And then she heard my story and she connected me with lived experience advisors. And at that time, he told me, Hey, you can call 211, talk to them, tell them what's going on. In none of the cities I've been in, I didn't know there was like a service like that. so it was through calling two on one that I got connected to a join. It Jexsi Narration: By the time Jesse connected with a join, his savings were running low. He remembers what it was like to receive support while trying to rebuild. Jexsi: this on mute, it was a lot of clear guidance because all of it was new to me. I didn't really know what I was signing up for, but the person on the phone was like, okay, we can take care of you, we're gonna need this and this from you. And don't remember how it panned out, but I remember I was given clear instructions. Which was very helpful because I was staying at the hotel that time and I was actually starting to run out of savings by the time I was able to find my first apartment. So my rent was still always paid. So the handoff was clean on your side. And since then it's That's always been the relying theme is clear communication, setting the expectations, working with me, asking me what's going on aside from covered expenses. Jexsi Narration: Finding an apartment was an important step, but Jesse says moving into housing doesn't automatically restore a sense of safety, belonging, or community. Jexsi: So one of the bigger issues we see when people step out of homelessness into renting there can be like a sense of claustrophobia being in those four walls. I even had that when I first got back into my mother's home in Missouri, I would still go back out to the car and sleep in it sometimes because that was uncomfortable. And we see people end up missing their community when they go into renting and they can't bring their friends with them. So it is we have to be helping them change their mindset and helping them want to step into what could feel like isolation actually when they first get into renting and now they have bills to pay and deadlines every month and equipping them with that mindset Is important even when we're doing shared housing, like that involves being around somebody that you don't know and it's not your tribe. And when they're not able to adapt to that, then their chances of staying housed housed are very low. Jexsi Narration: As Jesse rebuilt his life, the people he met began inviting him into a different role. Not just receiving services, but helping shape them. Jexsi: so through those connections with Live Experience Advisors, I was able to share my story. He told me, like, look, we're centering the voices of people with lived experience to make policies for workforce housing and unhoused individuals more possible. Your story's powerful. You know, veteran, grew up in a single family household, first generation. And it was through that that I started. meeting with the city council members, advocating with the mayor, But beyond what I was doing, it was also showing me that what I had to say and my perspective mattered. it was growing my self-actualization in a way that up until that point, I never felt that it mattered. I think I was acting out in my twenties because I needed to feel like I was seen and relevant. And so it's through that advocacy journey that it helped return my identity and helped me discover it. Becki/Olivia: I was just gonna kind of roll it back to where you are today because now you're a real estate agent and from my understanding you're still involved in nonprofits who are facing homelessness, trying to offer support and services. Can you tell us a little bit about what you're doing in that aspect of your life? Jexsi: Absolutely. So what I am doing today has evolved, has evolved a lot since I started. Now I work with a lot of directors and the CEOs of nonprofits on collaboration. I'm very collaboration oriented because of my story, because community is important. And a lot of the times they don't they don't have the time to see who else is doing what they're doing, what they could partner with. so I'm on the board of Humble Design San Diego. That one's near and dear to my heart. I'm part of Uplift San Diego. They do after school tutoring. A lot of those students become lifelong advocates, either volunteer or they stay connected with their tutors. We Becki/Olivia: What made you choose tutoring? Jexsi: So the president above lip was the first advocate that helped me get housing like five years ago. And so I wanted to be a part of what she was a part of. that was the first time meeting somebody like that, like a wealthy woman that was invested in the cause of the city just because it was her city and just because those are her neighbors. Like even seeing somebody like that was profound to me. So I became invested in what she does. and the wonderful people that I met along the way on the board. All of those people I've learned from and I've advocated in different arenas and different ways with. Jexsi Narration: One of the organizations Jesse works with is Humble Designs, which furnishes homes for people moving out of homelessness. His connection to that work is personal. Jexsi: So going back to humble design, for those that don't know, we do think HGTV for people that just got out of homelessness and into renting and all they could afford was the apartment. So we take community donated furniture and community donated funds and we interview these clients, a lot of single mothers and veterans. We find out what's important to them and their children, and we go in in one day and we fully furnish their home and we do a big reveal. and the same on like the nonprofit side with humble design. I always recommend that if people have never volunteered before, that's a great way to get immersed in the community and see. See the best of what it can be because when you're volunteering in the warehouse, you're meeting wonderful people, you're seeing their passion, their excitement for what they're doing, knowing they're gonna change your life with what they're preparing. And then when you go in and you fully furnish the home and you do the big reveal, it's on YouTube and online because we've got local media stations coming in, but when they come in and we see the looks in their faces when they see what people complete strangers have done for them. I get that feeling. I was also a client of Humble Design as well, but I didn't mention that. So Becki/Olivia: mean it's amazing that after you found stability that you've continued to give back and advocate for others. Why are you doing that? Jexsi: multiple reasons, sirve. A, because I absolutely know what it's like, you know, having the worst day of your life that just keeps compounding and compounding. also because of my faith, you know, it's something that I believe is a responsibility. We're called to serve, we're called to look out for our neighbors as well. And because You know, I love doing there's a fulfillment there. Like people think going back to that trying to fill the void, we think we need to get to a certain place and become a certain thing. But really, if you're looking out for somebody else, there's a fulfillment there. You're not going to get any other way. Jexsi Narration: Jesse also built a career in real estate. Today he helps people, including veterans and first-time buyers, take steps towards a more stable future. Jexsi: It's really difficult. It's more and more difficult every year to become a first-time home buyer. Yeah. But that's also still a very relevant way to build generational wealth. Something that me and my family just did not have. like there are stories on the nonprofit side, but also on the real estate side, like helping military individuals, active duty and veterans navigate that process in the home ownership. But that's beautiful because I know now they are they have something they can give to their kids. Like all of them have been parents that I've worked with, and seeing what I wish somebody had done for my family. Is really powerful seeing their faces as they are processing. Like, okay, now I am part of the American dream as it was sold to us. Becki/Olivia: what are you just the most proud of yourself for? Jexsi: I am most proud for the healing I see happening in my family. that is a big part of why I am in real estate, not only helping the clients, but also building generational wealth for my own family. what I love about real estate is you're required to become more than you are to do more. there's a lot of character development required in real estate. emotional intelligence and communication skills are paramount. And so I have predicated my success in the business on becoming a better man, a better father, a better husband. And I'm most proud to see that I became who I needed to be in time for my son to be able to remember what he's seeing. You know, as soon as I was stably housed, he started visiting me in San Diego and It was in middle school and he was then watching everything I do. And you know, it would have broken my heart if I was still battling addiction. He had to see that. so seeing that he now understands that emotional intelligence and kindness to people and financial literacy are important, and then that's also Now I'm talking to my mom about that. You know, the goal is to continue reaching out to the extended family because Jamaicans are struggling with all of that. so I am most proud about that, the healing in my family. And then also like the community I'm growing here. Community five years plus is an accomplishment. Jexsi Narration: someone who grew up moving from place to place, building lasting connections has become an accomplishment of its own. Jesse's advice reflects how much those relationships have mattered. Jexsi: So because I moved around my whole life, putting down deep roots of community was hard. Like for me, I was always amazed when somebody had a friend for like 10 years. I was I was like, wow, that's so cool. You knew somebody for that long. Like I'm coming up on my fifth year here. For me, that's a huge accomplishment. I'm in one place for five years. I think that's coming up on the record, if not the record. And so I I am excited to be able to have friends that I'm gonna have for a long time. And that's something that had to be learned. How I conflict resolution with them is different now. Because it's like, okay, you matter more than what we disagree on. Becki/Olivia: So for somebody that's exiting the military or retiring, like what is one piece of advice you would give them to help set them up for success? Jexsi: Start talking to your community, like the people that are going to be walking with you in the next season, start planning with them, start having conversations with them. I think we get so used to needing to have like a blueprint and a strategy for next steps. But a lot of these things that are meta happen when we're just like breaking bread with people around us. So start having those conversations because then. You never know a job opportunity is gonna come up. You're gonna talk about something, and somebody around you is like, I know who I could refer you to. Like, there are these intangible things that happen in community that are as important as what is your financial plan for the next steps. So start talking with your community and the next steps if you're retiring, what that looks like. You will get answers to questions you didn't know you had. I spend a lot of time connecting nonprofits now because they are kind of siloed and there's a lot of redundancy. We could get more done if we just collaborated. So community at the human level and also at the nonprofit level. And I do the same thing in real estate. Right now I'm working to bridge the gap between the brokerage I'm at and the nonprofit because realtors have a lot of money and their clients also love doing good. So have the funds flowing back into the nonprofits that I can vouch for are doing what they say they do. Becki/Olivia: We ask everyone who's on the podcast if there is a story or a topic. that isn't talked about enough and what do you think that is? Jexsi: I know one that's been on my mind and heart recently is the increasing sense of isolation that technology has created. People are lonelier than ever, and we're seeing that in ways we don't recognize yet. People are having a harder time connecting with one another or navigating disagreements. Because technology is reinforcing our perspective and our views. And that's making everything harder. It's making it harder to connect with people at work or in your personal life. So I think that's something that we should be looking at right now because we're approaching like a perfect storm of funding being cut, resources being limited, and people being increasingly isolated. And Instant gratification is rewarded versus long-term planning. And so there's like a a collective myopia that's affecting all of us and making everything we do harder. Because we talked about community being one of the biggest solutions, and that's that's attacking one of the biggest solutions right now. Becki/Olivia: What do you think if someone remembers just one thing from your story today, what do you hope stays with them? Jexsi: not only is there hope on the other side of the worst day or time of your life, but it can also be the very source of somebody else's hope. You know, a big part of what I do now is all because I was homeless. Like so much, almost all of my life is structured around I had the worst season of my life and now it matters. It it makes me who I am today. And it also gives me the empathy to walk with people that are not over that hump yet. So it's not the end. Hope it just keeps coming back. Hope in community. Becki/Olivia: Hmm. Jexsi Outro: So when we see someone experiencing homelessness or struggling with addiction, it's easy to make assumptions about who they are and how they got there. But Jesse's story reminds us how much we can't see. We don't know what someone else has been through, what they've lost, or what their future might hold. And as we've heard from Jesse himself, sometimes having someone see our potential when we can't see it ourselves can make all the difference. So before we make assumptions about someone else's life, let's remember there's always more to their story than what we can see. To To learn more about the organizations and resources mentioned in today's episode, visit the links in our episode description below.