A curious heart
Melissa made the decision to donate to Nexus in honor of a friend of hers who spent a portion of his childhood in a foster home. As she began to learn more about his experiences growing up, and started to do some of her own mental health work, she understand how much early childhood trauma carries with us into adulthood and shapes how we handle conflict and relationships with other people throughout our lives.
Melissa would often think about her friend’s stories and imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes. Not knowing if someone was going to pick you up from school that day. Or, where you would even attend school. Or, when you might have to move again and stay with yet another family member. She would picture her friend as a little kid dealing with these issues that were so different from her own childhood and wonder how she could help other kids in that situation now. What means did she have to participate in making the struggle for kids like him even a little bit easier?
Making a difference
In Melissa’s words “I am a person who likes to take action (irritatingly at times!). Even the modest donations I’ve provided to Nexus help me feel like I’m making a difference. I easily could have been the one to born into a family that’s needing help or struggling with trauma. I have been fortunate enough to have the means to give financially, and I appreciate the opportunity to give back through Nexus”.
