Lindsay walked through the doors of the art room and I immediately felt relieved. We hadn’t seen her in months. I had been asking around about her and checking out her normal hang out spots but no one had seen her. I’d even called the hospitals and checked obituaries, fearing the worst.
We were so relieved she was back, but we were also worried. She looked thin and pale, and exhausted.
As she settled in, I started chatting with her about how she was doing. She said things were really bad but she didn’t want to get into it. When I asked her why she chose to come to art group that night she said, “I just wanted to do something normal.”
So much of her life is not ‘normal’. It’s not normal for a teenager to be on the streets, to be addicted to drugs, to be doing dangerous things to make money. What is normal for a teenager is to be hanging out with friends, eating yummy food and doing something fun together. If all we do at Innercity Arts is provide a little normalcy for her, then we are doing something significant.
-Moira, Staff
This story is part of A Special Series this month in honour of OIM’s 30th Anniversary. We hope to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and honestly reflect the lives of those who call the streets their home. As you reflect on these stories, please take a moment to PRAY EACH DAY – just 30 seconds – for our ministry’s needs including a permanent location for our OIM Office as of Aug 1 .
Thanks and God Bless.
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