Today we’d like to introduce you to Asjah Monroe.
Hi Asjah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in the various different lower-income neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts, and attended a handful of the public schools before I attended a suburban high school through a bussing program. I was always struck by how a simple difference in access to resources can be a major difference.
My suburban peers and my friends from my home community seemed to be living entirely different lives, that we were on very different trajectories and were having very different experiences. This was one of the first foundational realizations. It led me to want to investigate why. I also just wanted everyone to have the same kinds of chance at doing well in life.
I’ve always had an interest in working with community youth in a supportive, mentorship type of role. Back in my adolescent years, I would find places to volunteer where I could work with youth that was just a little younger than me, leading classes, coaching, and teaching. It was so important to me to pass on anything that I had figured out in life up to that point to others in hopes that perhaps they would be better prepared for whatever was coming their way.
After graduate school, a career in human services ultimately narrowed its focus to working with individuals who were experiencing homelessness, and then even more specifically, to young adults who were experiencing homelessness. Seeing their lives, their difficulties, their struggles, and walking with them through the process of trying to get out of homelessness changed me fundamentally.
That curiosity I’d felt in my youth, and that sense of urgency I felt in my adolescence now, along with my professional experiences, all converged into what felt like a sort of calling. Something more had to be done for these young people, that was clear. I felt like I could create something that.
So I set out to establish Small House Inc. A transitional living program for young adults aged 18-24 that offers ongoing coaching.
Alright, 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?
I think I would probably say that the journey to founding Small House has been a winding road. We’re still in a very early stage of organizational development, so many of the difficulties have been related to finding the right resources and supports for the work that we are trying to do.
A surprising and unanticipated challenge has been the task of helping folks who could potentially fund the work to recognize the need for a response like Small House Inc. to youth and young adult homelessness. While there are a few local organizations that are responding to the problem, there is still way more need than there are organizations that can respond to it.
As you know, we’re big fans of SMALL HOUSE INC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Small House Inc is a transitional living program for young transition-aged adults, 18-24. Our aim is to create a space for young adults to rest, heal, learn, grow and progress after they’ve experienced the trauma of homelessness or housing instability. We do that by offering housing and ongoing support in the form of coaching. We have plans to begin working with our first young adults later this year.
We think what sets us apart is that we’re determined to keep the needs and the progress of the individual program participant in the center of the things. We’re very relational in our approach in recognition that strong, supportive relationships are what young adults truly need to help them thrive.
More than anything, we really just want to build a place where young adults can really be themselves without any fear, especially when it comes to their ability to express themselves culturally.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality that is most important to success is definitely integrity.
Contact Info:
- Email: smallhouseinc@gmail.com
- Website: www.smallhouseinc.org
- Instagram: @smallhouseinc
