This is one of a series of stories about the nonprofit agencies that receive money from The Gazette/El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund campaign that runs through the holidays.

Autumn came to Colorado to find something different from her fast food restaurant job and flat land of St. Louis.

“I left because I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere in life,” she said.

Autumn had dropped out of high school, but she had goals. She wanted to start a career, get her own apartment and have a car. She came to Colorado with no family, and had to figure out how to support herself. She searched online for homeless shelters for teens and found Urban Peak.

“I just want to be stable,” she said.

According to its website, Urban Peak works to help youth who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless overcome real challenges through necessary services and a safe community so they can become self-reliant adults.

Autumn, 20, said that Urban Peak has helped her have a home, complete high school and work towards becoming a nursing assistant. It has also helped her earn an internship where she is learning how to work in an office environment.

Autumn said she has been with Urban Peak since July and she plans to stay there until late January. Urban Peak gives her chores and provides her with a place to live with others her age. She said she was skeptical about living with others her age at first, but it was different than she expected, and she said it has been a good outcome.

“Urban Peak has helped me a lot,” she said.