Putnam Place Resident Featured on WCVB-TV
You may have caught one of our very own Putnam Place residents on TV earlier this year: longtime resident Tony was featured in WCVB-TV's A Plus segment back in February! Journalist Antoinette Antonio interviewed Tony about the challenges he faced growing up, having no food security and sometimes having to skip school to wait in line at food pantries.
But with the help of the Department of Children and Families, Tony was able to take control of his situation and move into a more stable environment. With the support of his friends, teachers, coaches and the staff at Putnam Place, Tony got back on track and was able to focus on his personal and academic goals. Today, Tony excels academically, runs track and plays football at his school!
Recently, Putnam Place Clinical Case Manager Derek Burton sat down with Tony to talk about his experience being featured on local TV. Tony told Derek that being interviewed encouraged him to reflect on his progress towards his goals. “While I was being interviewed,” he said, “I was trying to understand why I have this opportunity instead of other people.”
Tony said that he tried to use this opportunity to talk about the struggles he has been through, while also talking about the struggles that other young people are experiencing who did not have the opportunity to share their stories.
Tony is inspired by people like Colin Kaepernick, who use their platform and their message to inspire change on a systemic level. Even though he’s doing well, Tony is still concerned about other young people experiencing struggles who don’t have the opportunity to share their stories.
Tony feels blessed to have this opportunity to be featured on WCVB-TV, and is grateful for his experience and support from Putnam Place. He is eager to move on to CFCS’s Independent Living program in the coming months, and to start college in the next academic year.