Local Families Come Forward To Give Young Man A Home

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — One woman holding out for a hero to help a young man without a home said she has found blessed hope.

Minerva Perez, executive director of Organización Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island posted recently about the dire need to find a home for a young man with nowhere to go.

After a plea on social media, Perez said now, she is talking to 2 families about the possibility of guardianship.

"I am continually stunned and reassured by the compassion from our community members. The young man couldn't even believe it. No promises, but we will take this as a good omen. Off to a good start," she said.

Issues surrounding school enrollment are being worked on, she added.

Perez reached out to the community on Facebook recently, with her heartfelt words, "Looking for a real life hero."

Two months ago, she said, she wrote about a young man who was brought to the United States at 16 and then abandoned by an uncle who fell ill and had to return to his home country.

"The young man had to work and live on his own. He is 19 now and wants, more than anything, an education. He reached out to OLA for nothing more than help to find a way to get an education. We have been working on this for 2 months straight," she said. "It is complex and going slower than it should."

As for the "hero part," Perez wrote, "This young man was abandoned. As I am learning more about ways to protect a good kid who has been struggling but somehow holds up education as his goal, we need a guardian for him. He must live with this guardian. This is not adoption. He works and is a highly responsible young man. I know this is a huge ask, but I did say that I was looking for a hero."

While the considerations are not small, they represent tangible ways for those wanting to help in a vital way, Perez said. "We will stand by this person or family that can do this. We have legal guidance on what exactly is entailed and we will be fully transparent about the process," she said. "Ideally, the person should be connected to the young man, but he has no one. He is working and responsible, but he needs some degree of care and support as a young person alone. Again, this is not adoption, but it comes with responsibility."

After the appeal, the 2 families came forward, bringing hope and the affirmation that real life heroes do exist, Perez said.

Patch courtesy photo.