In general, I have a huge desire to help ease the dark times of people of all ages – kids and adults alike. However, adults are much less likely to admit or ask for help while kids are often screaming for it. I held onto the pain of my adolescence & young adulthood right up until 2 years ago. I recognize it. I see it. And I feel it. So do many of my friends. There are a few of us who know, at an instinctual level, that through the public sharing of our stories, we will be able to help thousands of hurting young people. We know it because that is all we ever wanted when we were living the pain. We just wanted an adult…any adult…someone with real “power” to help us in a way that was really helping us.
Between us, we have familiarity with, among others, the following experiences – eating disorders, body image issues, divorce, adoption, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, being in the foster care system, suicidal thoughts, child abuse, cutting, and addiction. As I’ve written about in a few of my blog posts, there are certain experiences you cannot fully understand unless you too have lived it. There is a unique understanding and obviously, credibility, when you have actually lived it.
One Seattle friend in particular, has a dream of operating a home where troubled kids can come from around the nation. A safe place. A place offering ways to address these issues that actually have a chance at working vs. many of the approaches in the system today that do nothing but worsen the struggle. She is one of my Dream Team members out in Seattle given her passion, interest, and drive to begin making a difference in this manner out in the world. Her project is definitely a larger one as it entails a home, but she is very high on my list of next projects to put into progress in some way.
I also have a particular interest in those who have experienced or are presently experiencing homelessness. I have two very big connections in this area. One of my amazing cousins is the youngest member of the Board of Directors of an organization called Real Change in Seattle, which addresses issues pertaining specifically to homelessness.
Additionally, the Kosove Society, the unique honor society at USF of which I am an alumni member, has been partnering with Lazydays here in Tampa in an incredible Homeless Youth Initiative. With funding, the possibilities of expansion and/or further partnering is very likely.
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