A Village for One’s Annual Auction & Benefit
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Hilton Portland & Executive Tower
During those hopeless, dark days on the street I was witness to moments, events and circumstances that changed me forever . . .
Initially, I didn’t understand the behavior of so many of the women out there and, even as strung out as I was, I was shocked by their appearance. So many seemed dead inside. Broken beyond repair. They appeared to have reached a place where there was no longer a bottom line for them. Just an imaginary mark waiting to be further lowered. I realized that without that firm commitment to just what I would and wouldn’t accept, I was vulnerable to completely losing myself. Those observations had a profound impact on my choices. My body may have been for sale, but my soul wasn’t.
To me though, far more troubling than their stories, was the resignation I heard in their voices. They no longer had goals or dreams – if they had ever had any to begin with. In one way or another, society had failed them long before they ever committed their first crimes. It was heartbreaking to think about and it offered me a view of the world I had never before considered. I had experienced a lifetime of opportunity and kindness. I had a point of reference to remind me that life didn’t have to be this ugly and hopeless. Most of the other women didn’t. Most hadn’t had any consistent, let alone positive, reinforcement to draw strength from. It still haunts me to think about how their lives might have been different if there had been someone to intervene and protect them as children. If there had been someone who believed in and advocated for them as adolescents. Who might they have become as adults? Their destinies, it seemed, had been etched in stone at an early age.
Tickets are still available . . . Make your reservation today!