From Chaos to Community: One of SA’s Oldest Nonprofits a Catalyst for Change

www.therivardreport.com, March 6, 2017

It’s a mess in the room where 18-year-old Ariel sleeps at her grandmother’s home on San Antonio’s Westside. In that, she’s a lot like many girls her age. But Ariel’s cluttered bedroom reveals her love for writing — always on paper — the many life stories she has to tell.

Adopted at age 5 with her three siblings after drug addiction overwhelmed their mother, Ariel is now a senior at Kennedy High School in the Edgewood School District. She’s also an expert with photo editing software, a skill she learned in a space that’s not only like home to her, but has also given her the chance to picture a different future for herself than what statistics predict.

The Neighborhood Place – El Hogar de Los Vecinos – sits at the intersection of the city’s three most economically challenged zip codes. This is where more than 28% of the population lives below the poverty line. In one day alone, there will be 600 child abuse calls to Child Protective Services (CPS) and 30,000 people will struggle to put food on the table.

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