Friends and family,

I am doing a project in school for which we are required to give voice to the realities of those who face barriers related to one of the subcultures learned in class to help make their "American Dream" come true in the face of undeniable personal and structural barriers. From an "outsider's" perspective, the focus on a person's work ethic and personal choices combine to bolster the seductive ideology of the "American Dream." Yet, from an "insider's" perspective, this "dream" is often blocked by harder to see structural impediments (gender/racial/sexual orientation/ socioeconomic statuses). For this case, it is of those who battle chemical addiction or other life-controlling problems. Their voices go unheard, as many people have set opinions on addicts and see them as negative or detrimental to society. No matter what people do to better themselves, others still continue to hold stereotypes.  My goal in choosing Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge is to support those who choose recovery or are able to do it and raise funds for that.

I thank everyone that is able to donate whether it is a large amount or small. I'm grateful to have people that support me, and if not for me, I'm grateful to have people that want to help those going through the recovery process.