About Me
I grew up in the challenging backdrop of Los Angeles, California. My mother's battle with addiction plunged me and my three siblings into a world of abuse, neglect, and homelessness. I experienced homelessness during my teenage years. At just 18, and five and a half months pregnant, my son’s father was tragically gunned down, due to gang warfare, once again leaving me homeless. For the next 11 years, I fought an uphill battle; I was caught in the grip of addiction, enduring frequent periods of homelessness, affiliated with a street gang, and trying to provide for me and my children. It was a relentless struggle, but my unyielding faith in God would eventually guide me towards a pivotal moment. At age 30, at 1am in the morning, I started on a life-changing journey. With my four children and unbeknownst to me, carrying my fifth, I boarded a Greyhound bus bound for Arizona. This journey marked the start of a new life I had never dared to imagine possible. In a small Arizona town, surrounded by the unwavering support of my sister and a community that believed in me, I began the difficult process of healing my own life and that of my children. I have been in recovery for 18 years and use my story as a beacon of hope for countless others on their own paths to recovery. My purpose - to serve others in their times of need, reminding them of their inherent value and worth in this world. Having traveled through the most challenging terrains of life, I have dedicated over a decade in my career, supporting vulnerable populations, from at-risk youth to those battling addiction, mental health issues, homelessness, and survivors of human trafficking. Today, I stand as the Program Coordinator for the Arizona Human Trafficking Hotline at the Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research with Arizona State University. I believe in the profound power of the human experience and do my best to channel my journey's lessons into creating a safe space within our society for the people I serve. Making sure they are seen, heard, respected, and, most importantly, encouraged to pursue their dreams and aspirations. I believe there is a strength that resides within each of us, waiting to be awakened and shared with the world. I hope to relate the transformative power of resilience and the enduring capacity of the human heart to heal, grow, and give back. With love, support, encouragement and care from others, healing is possible.
My Purpose
My sole purpose is to remind each person I encounter of their value and worth here on earth, and to ignite the spark deep down in their soul that will burn with a desire to seek the life they want. We are here for so short a time, there is no reason one should exist - only to not feel alive.
It begins with Love!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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