It's Giving Season!

Bang Bang... Oh that’s just more gun shots, I’m sure I'll find out what happened in the morning. You see, all I need to do is hang out by the local gossip stop (bus stop) and listen to find out what happened last night in the Concrete Jungle. I’m so used to hearing gun shots at night that I don’t even think about it anymore, but those shots last night were the ones that claimed my father’s life. He was never around, but that was still my father and that pain shook me.

Who am I, you ask? My name is Deidre but everyone calls me Dee. I’m a 9-year-old girl, who lives with my mother, her different boyfriends, and my five younger brothers and sisters. Most times I’m embarrassed to be around other kids because I hear them bragging about birthdays, addresses, and even their mom’s phone number when I don’t know my own. Well, you're probably scratching your head in disbelief but it's true, I can't read or spell. The saddest part of this is I don’t even know how to spell my own name. I know you may be reading my story and thinking that there is no hope for me, but I’m here to tell you I have hope – the Red Door Urban Missions (Red Door) center.

At the Red Door, I am loved, cared for, treated like I matter, I get a lunch and snack, I learn about Jesus, play games, do arts and crafts, and I get things that are just for me – like backpacks, coats, school supplies, clothes, and shoes. The volunteers that I have met at the after-school program that helps kids like me with our reading and homework have also taught me how to read, but more importantly, I learned to spell my name the right way.

The Red Door team may have walked hand in hand with Dee on her growth journey, but the credit is not ours to own. Dee is an incredible young girl and continues to inspire us all through her hard work and determination. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to engage in life-on-life support with her through this journey so stay tuned as Dee’s pathway to success is still unfolding.