February 2, 2009

Dear Friends,

Through REACH I have had the privilege to see great 'hope' through children and parents who love enough to be vulnerable, to seek intimacy, attention, mentoring, and commitment.

Out of the safety of touching of one another's hearts, of even shared brokenness, come the amazing gifts of strength and encouragement. One example of this can be seen in a poem written by fourteen-year-old Anne, a REACH kid who has battled HIV/AIDS and abuse since birth; one learning through REACH to trust a future. She now finds herself in a safe place where the word "family" is more than a descriptive definition, where she is freed from the wrongs wrought by one called "mother." Hear the words of a heart moved toward hope by love:

Sad Times

I've been pushed down...
Slapped around
Neglected...
But I still try to keep on
going...
Going where she didn't ...
She didn't think about how her
children would feel...
She didn't even think about
herself...
She just tried to forget the pain
By drinking...
Every night she'd come home and pick up a glass
Filling it up with whisky...
The stuff people think gets rid
of pain,
But it only creates more.
The stuff I know I hate...
I've been cheated.
Locked out...
Lied to...
But I know I'm going
Where she isn't...
I'm going where she didn't
Some where I'll be happy...
And where she won't be...
These are sad times...

Please help us keep hope alive. Together we are making a difference.

Love one another,

Susan K. Slonaker

P.S. Please join us at the Potter's Wheel Retreat with Tony Campolo Feb. 13-15th at Warm Beach. Please continue to give to the children of REACH through The United Way, matching funds at work, the Combined Funds Drive, selecting REACH, charity #1478845 or the here.