Let me tell you a story of empowerment. It doesn’t begin that way, though – stories like these rarely do. This story begins on a bus traveling through chaotic city streets. The air is thick and heavy with heat, the way it is with city buses in the summertime. There’s a boy on the bus who appears to be school-aged, though he rides the routes all morning and afternoon. He carries a bag of peanuts and candies and walks the aisle, back and forth, selling the snacks to anyone who will give him a couple coins. Later, he’ll do the same on the streets.
Jeremiah* spent many days this way, selling as much as he could. If Jeremiah didn’t meet the day’s quota, he received a beating from his caregiver, Miranda.
Though we may agree, this kind of treatment isn’t care at all.
It's child abuse awareness month. Jeremiah's story is just one example of the many ways child violence can manifest in an individual life. His journey out of abuse requires much support and care, but each step is a signpost of the empowerment he's walking into.
Please read the rest of Jeremiah's story and consider supporting our partner Horizon right here in Lancaster PA.
https://empowertheorphaned.org/pursuing-life-after-abuse/.
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