Today we’d like to introduce you to William Crawford.
Thanks for sharing your story with us William. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am originally from Toledo, OH and I just recently relocated to the area. I was raised in a single-parent household and my mother did the best she could taking care of three boys by herself. As a child, I lived with different family members so that I could have “better things.” While my mother was an awesome parent I felt the feeling of loneliness at an early age. Growing up I can recall my mother putting the man she was romantically involved with before me and it eventually took a toll on me mentally. I remember living with my grandmother and would cry in my sleep saying that “I want my mom” and was told to just go back to sleep, no comfort or love and that did affect me. My family has been working with children’s services for as long as I can remember and often times I remembered saying that I started to feel like I was “foster child”.
However, I always maintained focused on school and would receive academic awards. School was my scapegoat to not focus on the realities that were going on at home. I knew better days were ahead. My life started to drastically change in the summer going into 8th grade when I was riding my bike around Wilson Park and a football practice was going on. The head coach seen me staring and he asked me do I like football. I replied, “kind of”. He asked me was I fast and I told him “of course” and then I was asked to race the fastest player on the team and of course I won. Getting into football really changed my life because Coach Pat did not just become my coach but he became my mentor and at the time, I didn’t know what a mentor was but reflecting back that is really the role he took in my life.
I begin playing football things started making sense, I was accepted into a catholic high school for my grades and athleticism. While in high school, my aunt paid my tuition for the first year and then my mother was responsible for the other years. My mother ran into financial obstacles and I unfortunately had to transfer to a public school my junior year of high school. This was a huge change for me because I only attended charter or private schools growing up. Start High School in Toledo, OH is where I finally saw my purpose in life and I was able to see a world that I was “hidden” from while in private schools.
This was my real glimpse of homeless families, working poor families, and much more. Things really hit home when I turned 18. I was pushing to get my license and my mom kept saying she could not find my birth certificate. I was not making her life easy because I was ready to drive and get my license and finally, my mother took me to a restaurant and began to just cry as she was telling this story of a little boy who became the biggest blessing to her. She described a woman that was her neighbor who was on drugs but was carrying a child and how she told the woman if the child is a boy, she wants to be the Godmother. By the end of the story, that little boy was me. After living 18 years, I just found out that the woman I call my mother didn’t give birth to me. My life was flipped upside down but this is where the idea of WJC Foundation came from.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. I was too embarrassed to speak my truth and tell the stories of many things that I have went through so I didn’t know who to reach out to and how to get things started. I lost friends and memories trying to shut out my past. I have even experienced homelessness myself and that’s what makes my foundation even more close to my heart. It is not just something I see others go through but I have gone through it and came out on top. Everything is a learning lesson and I thank God for all the trials and tribulations I have went through and will go through because he always brings me out victorious.
Please tell us about WJC Foundation.
WJC Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the journey of teenagers and young adults who are experiencing homelessness. Studies show that from the youth experiencing homelessness drugs and alcohol are a big coping mechanism for them. The WJC Foundation is something that is bigger than myself and that will reach hundreds of young people who are going through a rough time. The vision of the WJC Foundation is to have a place that these teenagers and young adults can call home.
The foundation will connect them to GED programs, medical insurance, job opportunities, affordable housing, scholarship opportunities, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, and therapists. WJC Foundation will have a high focus for those between the age range of who we serve that are of the LGBTQ+ community. Statistics show that the United States homeless youth population is increasing dramatically and in that percent, most person(s) identify with the LGBTQ+ community. The foundation is working diligently to uncover why and how we can end this. We are just getting started and plan on making a global impact on youth homelessness in the future. The website is currently under construction but we plan to have that launched by March 1st, 2020
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from my childhood is being with my Uncle Bill who passed away in 2003. He literally gave me anything I asked for and because I grew up without a father, he loved me like I was his son. He would push me to do better in school at a young age and showed me how to appreciate the little things. We would just sit on the porch and watch the cars pass and look into the sky. Lord knows I miss that man.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 330-469-3485
- Instagram: wjcfoundation_
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