When I was a teenager I dreamed of a place where love would abound. I made it a personal goal to provide what I needed for others today. I am amazed at how precious lives become transformed from the Inside-Out when love is unleashed. Today I get to be in the place I dreamed and it is better than I imagined because each of us are growing every day to become all that we are meant to be. Here is a glimpse of our Inside-Out Peer Helper Program.
Great moments are meant to be shared. My Peer Helping classroom is filled with them and I can't take the credit. I am not the best teacher in my classroom. Take 40 seconds and see why. Thank you Ty for motivating us to want more for our lives. I hope we all Find our Voice and inspire the world around us to grow in positive ways.
Many students start and end their day on a school bus. If school bus drivers could see all students from the inside-out and students could see bus drivers from the inside-out, it would positively impact their attitudes toward each other. Our Peer Helping program decided to spend a day bonding with over 40 local school bus drivers. We led our Inside-Out Peer Helping Workshops and broke down walls while bonding. It is a day none of us will ever forget. We laughed, we loved and we learned a lot. Keep growing.
Have you ever watched what a hug can do for another person? There is a ripple effect that is undeniable. I had the honor of leading Inside-Out Peer Helpers in making positive connections and spreading love by sharing free hugs on campus. What I captured in this small video is priceless. We started with a school wide Inside-Out Peer Helping assembly teaching about loving others and then took our mission to the campus. Always remember that a hug can make someone's day.
Connor was a foster student in my Peer Helping class. I learned the importance of making a home for kids in our lives and in our hearts. This is a touching story of many loving people coming together all for the sake of one. Connor taught us the importance to fight for those we love. Connor found a real home through a teacher at school and is now enlisted in the army to fight for all of us if ever needed. We can never underestimate the power of making a tender heart feel at home.
Today as I shared a portion of this talk with girls at an assembly, I noticed the tears in their eyes. We are all longing for deep and lasting connections in our lives. We need to be reminded that our lives are so important and that they are important to someone we may not even know yet. It is okay to guard our hearts and preserve our stickiness. That person will be forever grateful to have us at our best. We just may be the one they hope to stick to for the rest of their life.
Jose was jumped into a gang at 13 years old. I had the honor of teaching him & watching him change from the inside-out. This is his story and how he started peer helping others to find a way out of gang violence. He become a part of Inside-Out Peer Helping in the early stages and found a family in Peer Helping and has a better life today.
The people who can be helped are the ones who admit they need it. I am still touched by this young man's willingness to be so open about something so personal. The truth is that secret addictions slowly rob us of joy and peace. Tyler thank you for your bravery. You have helped so many others face their own secret additions, by your willingness to face yours.
Stay young at heart. John Piches, RHS 1939 graduate & WWII vet, embodies that statement. He said, “I spent a lot of time in the principal's office when I was in school. It wasn’t because I was bad. I just know how to have fun.” We spent a day with this amazing man who spreads love, cheer and warmth with every word. He believed we can all be peer helpers. We will miss Mr. Piches and the love he shared so freely.
We should never forget to keep giving. It is in giving that we receive. This video tells the story of Paul. I met him years ago in a retirement care facility that I visited weekly. Paul, confined to a small room, creatively gave back with his life. He was a master at making his life count. I hope to grow old like Paul. He knew how to make the world better with scraps and remnants. Think of some small way to leave the world better today. You won't regret it. Give.
Valerie Erb was a broken teenager who turned her life around at the age of sixteen and has been helping
others do the same ever since.After changing her life, she made a vow to help as many people as possible until the day she dies. She wants to be the person that she needed around when she was struggling. She has helped many through her roles
as a public speaker, teacher, “at risk” student adviser, in-service trainer, workshop facilitator and youth leader.She is very candid about the struggles she faced throughout her life. She overcame many hardships and hopes to help others do the same. She imparts to each life she
touches the hope of being restored from the inside-out.She is most passionate about helping people become
all they are meant to be. She wrote Inside-Out Peer Helping Curriculum and created the Inside-Out Peer Helping Program, Training and Workshops in order to achieve that goal. She is thankful to have made meaningful connections world-wide. She loves to connect with anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of others. "Be the Change"
