REAL MOMS OF THE METRO
Kylee Holland Creating community for youth in crisis
Si•su (sēē'sōō) n. [< Finnish word] Sisu can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance and bravery in the face of adversity. Sisu is the ability to sustain courage when times are tough.
Kylee Holland was a stay-at-home wife and mom of twin toddlers and an older child when a job opening with Sisu Youth Services popped up on her social media feed. Holland, with years of experience in mental health casework prior to staying home with her kids, has a passion for serving LGBTQ+ youth, a primary focus area of the affirming nonprofit organization, offering shelter and support to homeless youth.
“I didn’t know if I was ready for a full-time job yet, and I enjoyed being with my kids, but it was the perfect opportunity,” recalls Holland. “I see eye-to-eye with Sisu not only with [supporting] LGBTQ+ youth, but trauma-informed care and how to handle youth who have had difficult lives, layers of barriers, trauma, substance abuse or mental health challenges.” Holland has served as Sisu’s program director for nearly two years, helping connect the youth who are staying in the shelter, those participating in drop-in services and youth newly in housing who need support with local organizations and professionals to provide everything from job readiness and life skills training to health and wellness programming and hair cuts. The most rewarding part of Holland’s job is cheering on small victories every day as youth learn to advocate for, support and love themselves. Holland’s goal is to work herself out of a job, assisting youth until they no longer consistently need her or Sisu’s services while at the same time helping the community at large understand the importance of serving this often-forgotten group. “I still talk to people all the time who don’t know there are youth who are homeless,” said Holland. “The unfortunate next thought is that they are bad or troubled kids. That is not the case. Youth who have trauma and barriers don’t always have attractive behavior, but that is why it’s even more important to address those needs and be a support for those youth. They are used to family members, society and agencies letting them drop through the cracks.”
BY ERIN PAGE . PHOTOS PROVIDED AND BY BRITTANI MOSLEY PHOTOGRAPHY .
32 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / NOVEMBER 2020
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