L.O.V.E - Leave Out ViolencE
LOVE is a program that prevents youth violence
by training youth to lead a movement against it.
It was started in 1993 by a woman named Twinkle,
whose husband was murdered by a 14 year-old boy.
After dealing with her feelings of anger and sadness,
she learned that the boy who killed her husband was also a victim of violence.
In order to break the cycle of violence,
Twinkle decided to spend her life helping youth learn to help themselves,
and eventually how to help other youth as well.
"I decided to look at this boy and his circumstances
and to take my pain and anger and turn it into something positive.
It was with this in mind
that I started the Leave Out Violence organization,
to help teenagers find alternatives to violence in their lives."
- Twinkle Rudberg,
LOVE's President and Founder
What brought me to L.o.v.e was the idea
that maybe I might actually be able to express myself
in a way I had never been able to.
What also attracted me
was the idea that they were teaching photography and writing skills for free
to youth who otherwise
would not really be given the chance
to develope those talents.
L.O.V.E has changed my life in many ways
it gave me the support and encouragment I needed
to become a writer
and it also gave me the honour of meeting
some of the greatest people I will ever meet.
Dennis Adams and Sarah McLaren run the L.O.V.E office in my city
and I take alot of comfort
in knowing that I have met
two of the most spiritually people.
Although I don't get to be there
as much as I would like
I can honestly say
that L.O.V.E is probably
one of the greatest gifts
i'll ever recieve.
