Time for my social justice platform to rise.
I guess in another life, I could have been a politician for women and children . On Saturday, I didn't get a chance to do much , but I did take pictures. I attended a fundraiser for Just the Beginning. A local agency in the city where I live , that helps women in addictions to be empowered. In the pictures are former Representative Steele and Jenice Jones, Director of Just The Beginning.
I used to work in a place for women who were addicted to drugs and who had trouble getting their lives back together. It gave me huge compassion for them and an even stronger desire to help them on various ways. It also showed me how to empower women to help them thrive. But some women are doing neither of these: Thriving, nor surviving.
"Survival of the fittest", I hate that term , sometimes . I don't believe always " the fittest" are those who survive Nor do I believe they are always good decision-makers. Real change comes from within.
Who decides who is the fittest ? To be "fit" sometimes has to do more with what you are adaptable to, and how willing you are to accept change. And survival is not always based on analogies and anecdotes.
These pictures are of Jenice Jones , Director of Just The Beginning, and a former politician who loves people in recovery from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
One thing I loved that Mr Steele made a comment about Saturday was this: "If you can Introduce a person to their Creator ,then the enemy can throw in the towel." I suppose I can attest to that. I've learned some things have to be fought on my knees, in order to win. And quite honestly, I wouldn't even be here today had I not learned how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I've learned some things really aren't about me. But sometimes so I can make a "huge ruckus" about social justice issues , and write about them in like places like this blog. Former Rep. Steele also said: "Women in Oklahoma are incarcerated twice the rate of any other states... And these decisions are based more so on emotions, fear, and anecdotes . Which is really sad because an anecdote is just one persons interpretation of a single event, and these women's lives are worth so much more.
I learned Saturday that employment alone - for women, reduces recidivism by forty -two percent. In Oklahoma. our prisons stand at 118% capacity more than any other city . That means people place an emphasis based on public safety versus any other issue for women with offender issues . We fail to address root causes like addiction treatment to make them better moms, education, job training , character development , mentoring parenting and offering them pro social skills.
Please support programs do women in recovery everywhere; and also with Just The Beginning so women and their children can have a second chance.