Dear Raksha Friends, 

It is the time of the year where we give thanks to our family and friends.  Thank you all for your support and friendship.  Raksha could not do our work without you!  As you reflect on the gifts you will be giving and getting, take a moment to think of our community members who want the gifts of healing, self sufficiency, and peace in their home.   Consider how you can give a gift that supports, sustains, and heals community members and their children.   The simple gifts of a listening ear, resources, and having someone believe in you --are some key gifts one needs to creating a new journey for themselves.   My coworker states this so beautifullly in her poem below:  

Journey
by Manisha Lance (Raksha Advocate)
I began this journey over three years ago.
I felt like a sail boat tossed on the sea towards a horizon of possibilities.
I was finally getting a chance to make a human wrong….right.

Sometimes the road seems long,
The journey endless;
As the case load increases;
Stories from different clients coincide and collide,
So many questions, 
Fewer answers,
It seems unfair that she has to decide between food and medicine.
That her rent is high and her wages low.

Resources few, the demand great,
From seeking pro bono attorneys,
To low cost medical clinics,
More and more tales of inhumanity,
Anger burns within me like a flame,
Sometimes, it leaves me feeling numb. 

From systems that seem so powerful,
To laws that seem more unjust than just,
While politicians indulge in their own projects, and cut essential services
While safe havens often shut their doors to those whose immigration status is a blur
I wonder if my voice has abandoned me.

Am I really being helpful?
Am I really making a difference?
I don’t want to be a band aid
Real change is what I want
For my clients, the system and even me

So I keep going.
I see her resilience and she passes a citizenship exam entirely on her own, despite speaking only a little English. 
I see her strength as she takes on the sole responsibility of raising her three young children. 
I even see her advocate for others in similar struggles.
I see communities rise up in partnership to meet their needs.
I discover and rediscover that I still have my heart that listens and my voice that speaks.
I pray and I hope that I will keep them through every journey. 

The sail boat sets sail again.
This time safeguarded against the wind and the waves, 
Protected by memories and successes that sustains me. 

These beautiful words from my coworker give you a small glimpse of the work that Raksha does and the challenges our clients face and overcome. Without your support, Raksha can't support individuals on their journeys to self-sufficiency and safety like the ones mentioned above. Please consider making a donation this year and next year to help keep Raksha's services available to your fellow community members. With this challenging economy, Raksha needs you now more than ever to sustain our culurally and linguistically competant services.   You can mail a donation to Raksha, Inc P.O. Box 12337, Atlanta, Georgia 30355 or donate online through our donate now link on this page!