Ability for self expression on this level had only otherwise in my life been available through the arts.īut even more serendipitous/hope inspiring/amazing is that my work in advocacy also led me to being introduced to ArtLifting. By sticking it out, I began to grow, finding both my voice and myself. Sharing these things with strangers is not something fun or comfortable to do, and for me as a very naturally shy and anxious person,very difficult. For most people talking about personal experiences can be really difficult, painful, and draining. Often on the fly, giving an unprepared speech to an unsuspecting audience of councilors. Through finding out about new issues, community concerns and needs in my work in advocacy, I found more opportunities and reasons to engage in advocacy. This cannot be realistically judged as an individual’s personal failure, but as a crisis we need to come together with compassion to help solve.
The sad but true reality is that most of America’s working class is only one strike of bad financial luck away from facing housing instability themselves. Seeing the way other communities have responded, especially those with the bold and so far successful plan of “housing first” helped inspire me to become engaged in a bigger way. It helped me to become much more aware of the bigger picture, and the unstable realities so many others also face.Īlthough my own story is unique, I’m not nearly the only one going through this. Having others to actually talk to about what I was going through changed my perspective greatly. Becoming engaged as a peer advocate has been both very empowering and humbling for me. My self hatred began to crumble under understanding, and a blossoming dream of helping to create a future in which younger generations of young people will have the help and resource they need to keep them on a clearer and safer path, and a chance to thrive.
KITTY KUBES HOW TO
It came to me in the form of a writing prompt, asking, “What would you want people to know about homelessness and how to help solve it?” And it made me ask myself that question for the very first time. A day time drop-in center for young adults I frequented when staying on the streets provided me an enormous eye opener one day.
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