'I'd drive anywhere they need me'

How Courage MKE supports 'their kids' when they're no longer kids

As I finish up the last part of the 4-part story of Courage MKE, I’m thinking a lot about what youth leader Andy Schueler told me when I interviewed him.

Here’s how I quoted Andy in last week’s newsletter:

We need to organize experiences that allow people to see the beauty and joy that exist in the world, things like Pride events and proms and just game nights, simple things where people can connect and feel love.

I think that’s really essential because if you haven’t seen or felt those joys of the world, then what are you really fighting for?

The people who live at Courage House and the C2 apartments have experienced trauma. A lot of them are struggling as they heal, and they all face difficult moments — moments that their found family at Courage support them through.

But support is about more than being there through the struggles; it’s also about being there for the joy. It’s when you relax with your community, laugh with your community, enjoy life with your community, that you really u…