Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“Where did those years go? I don’t know, but I’m proud of myself now and I’m so glad … that God gave me another chance,” keynote speaker Lolita Mitchell said at the 10th Annual N Street Village Empowerment Luncheon at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, DC. “I was accepted in a recovery program, and I was welcomed by the staff and my other peers. I just had to give myself a chance.” She did and she won her battle against drugs.
“N Street Village is a community of empowerment and recovery for homeless and low-income women in Washington, DC. With comprehensive services addressing both emergency and long-term needs,they help women achieve stability and make meaningful gains in their housing, income, employment, mental health, physical health, and addiction recovery.” Mission Statement
OPRAH (center)
“Bravo and congratulations to the N Street team for the service that you have brought not only to the lives of every woman who showed up at the door and you met them, but where they are now….. that service in the law of physics – the third law of motion – comes back to also serve you. We are who we are in the world based upon how we’re willing to truly treat other people and how we are willing to see other people as ourselves,” said Oprah.
Oprah
“I’ve known this my whole life, but my friend and mentor and mother figure Maya Angelou helped me to see it so well. When years ago, I said to her,’Maya, oh, my school. I have a school in South Africa and I have hundreds of girls in school and now, hundreds of girls in college. This school will be my greatest legacy.’ Maya said,’You have no idea what your legacy will be.’ I actually tried to talk back. I said, ‘No, no, I believe it’s …’ she said, ‘you have no idea what your legacy will be.'”
“I share her words with you: “Your legacy,” she said to me, “is every life you’ve touched…… every life you’ve touched……. every person who’s ever watched the show and made the decision that I’m going to leave my abusive husband or I’m going to go back to school or I’m going to speak out about my abuse as a child or I’m going to change the way I do things in the world, That is your legacy.'” Oh, and there’s the check for one million dollars to N Street Village.
Shroeder Shribling, Exec. Director of N Street Village and Oprah
OPRAH:
