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“Huckleberry was life saving for me when I had nowhere to go.” – Yusuf’s Story

by

Yusuf Hansia

In 1997, at age 11, Yusuf Hansia moved to Mill Valley, CA from Bahrain to live with his grandparents. He remembers
the culture shock and always being asked to repeat himself two or three times because of his accent. But culture shock wasn’t the only issue for Yusuf. He was raised predominantly by his grandparents because of a strained relationship with his very strict father. His father traveled for work and, “once every six months, he would appear and when he was around, it was all about having your head down in a book,” Yusuf says about his dad. “No friends to socialize, no play to experience. When he was around, it was his way. I don’t recall how many times I was kicked out of the house, but it was a lot, and for minuscule reasons.”

After three years of living with his grandparents in Mill Valley, Yusuf and his siblings were sent back to live with his father in Bahrain. Life with his father was tense. “It was like living with a stranger,” he said. “We didn’t know our dad. He wasn’t a friend. We couldn’t find common ground. We lived in high anxiety, on high alert, careful of what we would say or what we would do. At one point, I was homeless for a week, and I was also sent to jail for protecting my brother and my sister.”

Yusuf was able to work with both the U.S. Consulate and Ambassador to help him and his siblings return to Mill Valley. Once back in the States, his grandparents refused to let him stay with them. That was when a social worker stepped in and introduced him to Huckleberry’s Nine Grove Lane shelter in San Anselmo.

“Huckleberry welcomed me with open hands without prejudice. It was there where I saw the fundamentals of an American household – they had curfews, chores, scheduling, most importantly understanding of emotions– things I didn’t have growing up.” He stayed at Nine Grove Lane for a both younger and older kids that struggled more or less like me.”

Now a father himself, Yusuf’s relationship with his dad is a work in progress. “I still keep in touch with him.” He said, “I feel that I can’t move forward when I hold a grudge.” His time at Huckleberry made a huge impact on the way he raises his own kids, and how he spends his time volunteering. “I’m involved with kids who need support. What’s better than coming from someone who’s been there, done that.”

Yusuf and Huckleberry Board Member Marianne Bamonte accepted the Corporate Partnership Award for Union Bank at Huckleberry’s 50th Anniversary Gala on November 30th 2017 at Four Seasons Hotel SF in San Francisco, CA (Photo – Natalie Schrik for Drew Altizer Photography)

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Huckleberry Youth Programs
3 days ago
Huckleberry Youth Programs

Every Tuesday afternoon in San Rafael’s Montecito Plaza, youth from throughout Marin County access Huckleberry’s Teen Tuesday Clinic, a unique model that integrates sexual healthcare with comprehensive mental and behavioral health screening and intervention. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth have the option to schedule Teen Tuesday Clinic appointments in advance, to increase safety for both clients and staff.

The most commonly requested services at Teen Tuesday Clinic are: STI testing, gynecological exams, pregnancy testing, options counseling, and family planning/birth control.

In addition to accessing medical services provided by our medical partner, Marin Community Clinics, youth participate in social emotional assessments and are linked directly to support for issues such as substance use, depression, relationship abuse, sexualized violence, or tangible needs such as housing, with referrals being made to our San Francisco crisis shelter, Huckleberry House.
#30thanniversarythursdays #30yearsofadolescenthealthservices
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Every Tuesday afternoon in San Rafael’s Montecito Plaza, youth from throughout Marin County access Huckleberry’s Teen Tuesday Clinic, a unique model that integrates sexual healthcare with comprehensive mental and behavioral health screening and intervention. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth have the option to schedule Teen Tuesday Clinic appointments in advance, to increase safety for both clients and staff.

The most commonly requested services at Teen Tuesday Clinic are: STI testing, gynecological exams, pregnancy testing, options counseling, and family planning/birth control.

In addition to accessing medical services provided by our medical partner, Marin Community Clinics, youth participate in social emotional assessments and are linked directly to support for issues such as substance use, depression, relationship abuse, sexualized violence, or tangible needs such as housing, with referrals being made to our San Francisco crisis shelter, Huckleberry House.
#30thanniversarythursdays #30yearsofadolescenthealthservicesImage attachment
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May 19

Open
Every Tuesday afternoon in San Rafael’s Montecito Plaza, youth from throughout Marin County access Huckleberry’s Teen Tuesday Clinic, a unique model that integrates sexual healthcare with comprehensive mental and behavioral health screening and intervention. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth have the option to schedule Teen Tuesday Clinic appointments in advance, to increase safety for both clients and staff.

The most commonly requested services at Teen Tuesday Clinic are: STI testing, gynecological exams, pregnancy testing, options counseling, and family planning/birth control.

In addition to accessing medical services provided by our medical partner, Marin Community Clinics, youth participate in social emotional assessments and are linked directly to support for issues such as substance use, depression, relationship abuse, sexualized violence, or tangible needs such as housing, with referrals being made to our San Francisco crisis shelter, Huckleberry House.
#30thanniversarythursdays #30yearsofadolescenthealthservices @hypteenhealth @hyphealthed @hart_sf @huckleberry_ace_academy @huckleberryhousesf @huckleberryhyhc

Every Tuesday afternoon in San Rafael’s Montecito Plaza, youth from throughout Marin County access Huckleberry’s Teen Tuesday Clinic, a unique model that integrates sexual healthcare with comprehensive mental and behavioral health screening and intervention. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth have the option to schedule Teen Tuesday Clinic appointments in advance, to increase safety for both clients and staff.

The most commonly requested services at Teen Tuesday Clinic are: STI testing, gynecological exams, pregnancy testing, options counseling, and family planning/birth control.

In addition to accessing medical services provided by our medical partner, Marin Community Clinics, youth participate in social emotional assessments and are linked directly to support for issues such as substance use, depression, relationship abuse, sexualized violence, or tangible needs such as housing, with referrals being made to our San Francisco crisis shelter, Huckleberry House.
#30thanniversarythursdays #30yearsofadolescenthealthservices @hypteenhealth @hyphealthed @hart_sf @huckleberry_ace_academy @huckleberryhousesf @huckleberryhyhc
...

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Huckleberry Youth
HuckleberrySFHuckleberry Youth@HuckleberrySF·
19 May

Each Tues. in San Rafael youth all over Marin access our Teen Tuesday Clinic. The most commonly requested services at Teen Tuesday Clinic are: STI testing, gynecological exams, pregnancy testing, options counseling, & family planning/birth control. #30thanniversarythursdays

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HuckleberrySFHuckleberry Youth@HuckleberrySF·
16 May

Check out the latest updates and news in Huckleberry's May eNewsletter! Read the May 2022 edition here: https://conta.cc/3FjXCNO

Reply on Twitter 1526307585233588224Retweet on Twitter 1526307585233588224Like on Twitter 15263075852335882241Twitter 1526307585233588224
HuckleberrySFHuckleberry Youth@HuckleberrySF·
13 May

"...American Academy of Pediatrics issued a report noting that “mental health disorders have surpassed physical conditions” as the most common issues causing “impairment and limitation” among adolescents." https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/health/pediatricians-mental-health-crisis-teens.html?fbclid=IwAR1DOqj4hpHn4PqBoSchU5nOHgZbQYEv2eLQUohWWytycdC83dfdx8SsBxU

Reply on Twitter 1525158450556116993Retweet on Twitter 1525158450556116993Like on Twitter 15251584505561169932Twitter 1525158450556116993

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