“Believe in Me ” is the theme for Voices Of Hope this month and it highlights what saved Liz Murray from a lost life. You recall she spent all of her growing up life on the streets partying with people she thought were her friends. She always woke up empty the morning after. Once she was able to “drop out” of that lifestyle, she found genuine caring from the staff and students at the alternative school in which enrolled. The director of the school saw potential in Liz and spent many hours introducing her through books to those who had overcome extreme hardship to go on to great success. Once Liz entered her new lifestyle she made three discoveries that required a change in lifestyle;
- She realized she had lived to please her boyfriend and now she was capable of shaping her own destiny.
- No longer homeless, she could now see how needy she was during her previous life.
- Her new life required a stable income as she could no longer depend on others to give her a handout.
These three issues form the greatest trap of poverty and once free of those dependencies, Liz determined to never go back. The key to escaping these traps was the presences of mentors who could show her a better way. As KHUSA mentors, we have the same opportunity to help our kids learn the freedom of shaping their own destiny.