LOVEABLE QUIRKY PEEPS

10/14/10

CHANGE in a BOTTLE..D IS FOR...

Well, Mrs Matlock, it's me again. .


A little tardy this week,


but I have a good  excuse...


Been talking to someone about something pretty important,


getting info to share,


and finding links...


If you've been here before,


you know I'm usually pretty close

to wearing the DUNCE hat...


This week is more serious.


This weeks letter D

is a bit DIFFERENT.


I'll be using a four D words.


DESTITUTE



DESPERATE



DEVOTION



DUSTY



Some of this may not be something you want to see or hear about.


It may make you uncomfortable.


I hope it does....


I hope you watch,


and read to the end.


Then DO something...



I'll start with

DESTITUTE..






Then DESPERATE..





This is DEVOTION..
 
An organization called

FACES OF YOUTH...

 Overview

FACES of Youth empowers and cultivates youth through service, education, recreation and cultural learning opportunities. We work with the underserved and poverty stricken youth in Salt Lake City's homeless shelters, transitional housing and schools to provide access to activities and adventures inaccessible to them.

We run FREE afterschool and summer camp programs allowing teenagers access to tutoring and mentoring as well as art, music, sports, dance and outdoor recreation. During each program the teens' talents are showcased within their community.

FACES of Youth provides an opportunity to make choices about personal interests, social behaviors, and time-use, to explore personal and social identity, to collaborate, and to appreciate diversity, talents, and personalities. Such growth and development empowers teenagers to make positive choices, work well with others, and become leaders in their community.


Please click on this link,

www.facesutah.org

Then vote to help this organization help homeless teens.


You can vote everyday,

I hope you will.


And I hope you'll share this link with others.


Post it on your blog,

send it to everyone on your email list


so they can vote and help too.

You can vote many times,

everyday,

you can ya know...




And now for DUSTY...


This is a true story about a woman I know.

She came from an average middle class American family.


Unlike some of the teens you hear about who run away from alcoholic or drug addicted parents, she just wasn't happy at home. She didn't get along with her step dad. Her mom wasn't aware of his mental abuse, didn't know the scope of the physical abuse, and wasn't a happy person herself.


Dusty had an older sister who'd left home as a teen and chose to live life in the fast lane. Drugs, money, freedom....


Dusty thought this was how she wanted to live also.


So she left to find her sister, and she did.

She was 13..


She joined a gang, got addicted to drugs, was in and out of detention homes and basically lived like the teens in the videos.


She went home for awhile at 15 but decided it just wouldn't work.


Eventually she married, but he was also into drugs....


There's much more to her story,

but the important part is where she's at now.

She's remarried, has two great kids,

Is drug free, stopped smoking, gained weight :)

Is Vice President of the PTA,

And Co Chair for the Community Action Center.

They're the ones involved in raising funds for FACES OF YOUTH

www.facesutah.org




Dusty is also my daughter....

And I'm so very, very proud of her.

Please help her and the committee

raise funds for these kids....

 And here's a HUGE THANKS!


Ok, back to the usual me

next week for E....



See ya then!








Keep Smilin (o:

8 comments:

Ames said...

A sad reality.Very moving. A powerful tribute to your daughter and her cause. I hope this brings about awareness. Thanks for posting this.~Ames

VIRG @ WASTE NOT WANT KNOT said...

Very powerful. Thank you for posting this. Awareness is so very important for every community.

My Grama's Soul said...

Hello Vicki.....I voted for this wonderful organization.....I know how devastating it can be to have children who make horrible mistakes in their choices for their lives.

Bless you sweet lady for bring this up.

Xo

Jo

P.S. So glad to see you back!!!!

Mumsy said...

You must be so very proud of your daughter and what a wonderful thing she is doing to help the homeless youth. Thank you, for sharing your real life experience with homeless teens. Hugs

PⒿ @ $ € € ₦$ ₣®0₥... said...

I'm sooooooooo proud of her and her mom. :)

You ended on hope. That makes me very happy.

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

What a very, very heartfelt post! Much needed information and awareness found here! I agree with the previous commenters...very proud of you and your daughter...What an impact to those needing a voice!

My hubby and I had our layover flight in Salt Lake City just two Thursdays ago, on our way to visit family.

Blessings & Aloha!
Just now catching up...

Jenny said...

Powerful and important. A message on a subject I know too well.

And something my husband and I both try to help with here in Arizona.

It is a tireless battle to fight addiction and I applaud Dusty for the courage and direction she has chosen.

On those dark nights when you are blaming yourself for the shoulda/coulda/woulda's remember that you gave her the skills she eventually used to change her life.

I'm sorry.

This must have been an incredibly painful post.

My A+ seems so inconsequential.

Instead I will go make a donation to this organization.

Splendid Little Stars said...

I don't believe any comment I can make will suffice to say how moving your post is. How wonderful of you to share this with us. How blessed you are to have a daughter like Dusty.