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You think you know me?
You don’t know me.
I’m 14
I’m 60
I’m white
black
brown
I grew up on the poor side
in the suburbs
a Columbus neighborhood.
Chances are I was abused
physically
mentally
sexually
as a child.
Or just felt unloved.
I don’t choose to sell my body.
I don’t choose to walk
and walk
the streets for days
without sleep
To be homeless
hungry
hopeless.
Every day while you go to work
to school
to the grocery store.
I face the chance of rape
prison
HIV
beatings
losing my life.
My addiction holds me here.
And I don’t have the strength
don’t deserve
I can’t
break free.
At Life Beyond the Streets, we do know this woman.
Because we were this woman.
Now we are a dedicated group of peer recovery coaches
with one mission:
Finding freedom for women trapped in a dangerous life on the streets by addiction, homelessness and mental health issues.
We know.
How she feels.
What she faces.
How to help.
We walk where she walks, offering 24/7 respect and kindness.
A lunch.
We give her a safe place to rest.
Clean up.
Get clothes.
We coordinate services and access to treatment she needs for the root causes of her addiction.
We share the hope of our own stories and help her see her potential to rewrite her own.
And when she’s ready, we offer a place to start.
