Writing for Director Novak while he's on vacation: Kelli McGee
Olga, our board chair, swimmer, and fundraiser, is taking on a challenge not so unlike those of our clients.
She put a goal before herself: swim three kilometers in open water.
We put a goal before our clients: independent life.
She started two years ago, with no ability to swim, and as an adult learning to swim, no doubt afraid. Our clients come to us to begin a journey, many of them have received little support from their parents, or have indeed been traumatized by their childhood or youth. They are afraid, too.
Olga step-by-step has studied, practiced, worked, and grown into a fast, confident, capable swimmer. She swims everywhere she goes to become stronger, faster, better. Our clients, too, they study with our social workers, psychologists, and volunteers. They practice new behaviors that will serve them throughout their lives. They work on turning themselves into kind, capable, confident young men and women. Depaul wants them to become better and stronger, so they will move onto independent life.
Olga will be the first Ukrainian woman to accomplish this swim from Alcatraz to mainland San Francisco. Our clients are trailblazers, too. Their families are not always good role models; they must reach for goals, when it must feel they're just chasing rainbows.
They all can succeed. They all need support.
Olga Swims Alcatraz: Just Give.
Olga, our board chair, swimmer, and fundraiser, is taking on a challenge not so unlike those of our clients.
She put a goal before herself: swim three kilometers in open water.
We put a goal before our clients: independent life.
She started two years ago, with no ability to swim, and as an adult learning to swim, no doubt afraid. Our clients come to us to begin a journey, many of them have received little support from their parents, or have indeed been traumatized by their childhood or youth. They are afraid, too. Olga step-by-step has studied, practiced, worked, and grown into a fast, confident, capable swimmer. She swims everywhere she goes to become stronger, faster, better. Our clients, too, they study with our social workers, psychologists, and volunteers. They practice new behaviors that will serve them throughout their lives. They work on turning themselves into kind, capable, confident young men and women. Depaul wants them to become better and stronger, so they will move onto independent life.
Olga will be the first Ukrainian woman to accomplish this swim from Alcatraz to mainland San Francisco. Our clients are trailblazers, too. Their families are not always good role models; they must reach for goals, when it must feel they're just chasing rainbows.
They all can succeed. They all need support.
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