Donor support helped one survivor share her story
When Alisha was 16, her family lost everything in a fire. She turned to poetry to heal and help her loved ones process the tragedy.
Years later, while working as a care provider, Alisha discovered Write Around Portland.
She’d wanted to continue writing, but couldn’t find a way to do it affordably. “I have to buy groceries and pay bills, and sometimes I don’t have money left for something like a writing class,” she said.
Thanks to donations, Alisha has since written with us and published two pieces in our anthologies.
She said, “I cried when I saw my poem in the book. I had never had anything published before!”
Since her first experience with Write Around Portland, Alisha found a new job, and with the added income, she’s looking forward to spending time writing a book. She told us, “I was a domestic abuse survivor for 20 years and I just want to tell my story because I know it could help someone else. I know I have a purpose – we all do. And writing is part of my purpose.”