“I risked my life by calling a cab and … “

“You are all catalysts for change.”

“I was voiceless.”

“My sense of self-worth plummeted.”

“No one was there to defend me.”

“I was targeted for relentless beatings.”

“I swore I would never look back.”

“She was alone again, and felt it.”

“It felt like I was thrown to the wolves.”

“I feel like a lost soul.”

“The child welfare system worked for me.”

“I wish I knew my baby brother.”

“I lived in 12 placements while in foster care.”

“Child welfare reform is so urgent and necessary.”

“I remember when surviving felt like a chore.”

“I wish caseworkers were better trained.”

“I was never involved in family outings.”

“Leaving foster care was a huge sigh of relief.”

“Even the past can be healed.”

“I have a lot of emotional scars.”

“I was hell-bent on finding a way out.”

“I was picked on and bullied in every placement.”

“Saying yes means not giving in or giving up.”

“Forgiveness doesn’t come with an instruction manual.”

“I felt that I was alone in the world.”

“I decided to rise.”

“They made me feel safe, special and loved.”

“I lived in 14 different homes in 15 years.”

“Don’t let statistics determine your outcome!”

“I knew life would be completely different now.”