There are lots of rags to riches stories. How about a story where people are struggling at the beginning , in the middle and at the end, with the point of the story being a main character's profound sense of belonging and getting to a point where they would never dream of being something they're not and somewhere they aren't.
Set in a slum or a trailer park, with interesting characters who are just trying to get by while dealing with their addictions or personality disorders, seeing the main character's rise and fall, ultimate rise again - while providing life lessons to those who refuse to see their own potential or that of those around them. Learning that friends can be as good, or better, as a surrogate family.