\u201cI\u2019m not a victim,\u201d I told myself the first time an email regarding a job working as a victim advocate for Mothers Against Drunk Driving showed up in my inbox.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a mother,\u201d I told myself the second time.<\/p>\n
The third time? I became the person who walks into a person\u2019s life when everyone else walks out.<\/p>\n
Nine months later, I became a drunk driving victim, and I knew I had to fight harder.<\/p>\n
A year later, I became a mother, and I felt called to make the world a better place, a safer place for my child.<\/p>\n
Today,\u00a0nine years later as a victim advocate who covers nearly 80 counties in Illinois, my job can mean explaining the lengthy court process, working with a food pantry to deliver a meal or simply holding a hand to bring comfort.<\/p>\n
Often, I struggle to secure travel funds to attend court hearing. It always breaks my heart to turn down a request.<\/p>\n