To my friends who reach farther than the rule book suggests I commend you
You have chosen to laugh off no’s and let your desires grow
Knowledge over everything is the drum beating to your life’s direction
Placing you in a state of perpetual development
Others opinions on your dreams fall short because they’re irrelevant
You my friend have found purpose
Each step you take is intentional
Books you read intentional
Words you speak intentional
Bricks being placed in the castle of your potential
The oppression you face is extra weight meant to build strength and put you in the place to strive when all others crumble
When they say “no” accept it as a challenge
Creativity is your comparative advantage
If you want it bad enough you will find a way
To my friends who’ve been displaced by ridiculous sentences absorb this message it’s different than the rest of them
There is hope
But only if you have faith
Accompanied by courage to take what you already have and become something great
Adversity is our biggest asset
And once you understand that
You have taken back your power.
If you are interested in reading more of Noah's poems, he has written his first book of poetry, Morse Code Kisses, available online.
Krista Wilson has been a dedicated Youth Care Specialist at Oak Bridge Youth Shelter in Washington for three and a half years. Oak Bridge Youth Shelter provides 24-hour crisis intervention and emergency shelter with services accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week for youth ages 9-17. When discussing what motivates her Krista says “making kids laugh. Even in times of heartache, you can always get a better perspective on life when you laugh.”
Robin Miller, a Case Manager in our Washington Program, was 21 years old when she was sexually exploited. “In 1993, I was trafficked from a club in Portland up and down the West Coast and in six states.” It took me six years to finally get the courage to leave my trafficker in 1999, but healing from the abuse took more than a decade more, in part, because there was no coordinated system of care available to support survivors,” she said. Robin gave this testimony before the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners last year. Once again, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation on January 17, 2019 recognizing January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Multnomah County.
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