We will present this award to you at a church on the north side of Minneapolis. Gangs, drugs, and violence are standard fare in many areas of that community. If true change is to take place, our youth must be shown a new vision of peace and hope that burns brighter and more intensely than our generation has seen. You have been creating that vision for the youth of the north side. Through your work in the Youth Department of Shiloh Temple and now as the Youth Director, you have reached out to young people to empower them to turn away from the temptations around them and to believe in their dreams. Your message is heard because you believe it so completely—we understand that one of your own dreams is to start a Dream Center to help kids reach their dreams. Your work and that of others like you is the best hope to heal the north side.
Your youth activities have not been a job, they have been your passion. You have no personal agenda other than to share your vision of hope with those who need it most. Your mission has come straight from the heart. That is what has made it so effective, and that is why we want to recognize and affirm you. You teach us that heart energy is what matters. We are inspired by your example.
Congratulations!
Elissa and Bruce Peterson, Founding Members