Tessa’s Home is an 8 part series that ran from November 28 to December 27th. To listen to the audio backgrounders and accompanying blogs, click “Recent Posts” on the right sidebar. Here is Tessa vision for her future.
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Tessa talks about the future…
Now, I’m starting to transition. I’ve taken the Urban Intervention Training and I’m starting to transition and be more than just one of the youth. I want to be the one that helps. I want to try and do what they (OIM) did for me, to somebody else. There’s nothing that I would rather do.
More often than not, when a youth goes up to someone in leadership and tells them their problems, they (the youth) will say, ‘You don’t know what it’s like. You have no idea what it’s like (ie. to live on the streets)’. More often than not, the response is, ‘Yea, you’re right. I really don’t know what it’s like.’
I want to be the one to say, ‘I do know what its like. I’ve been exactly where you’ve been and if I didn’t get help from places like this, I wouldn’t be where I am trying to help you now.’ I want to do that.
What a journey! Thanks to all who have made a donation of any size! Every dollar counts, and every dollar goes to help us continue outreach on the streets of our Nation’s Capital. If you have appreciated Tessa’s story and want to help us continue reaching out to street engaged youth, please click ‘Donate Now’. Thanks for your support!