IT'STIME2! Embrace Diversity

Jessica Pricci recounts her high school years, the bullying she experienced, her cries for help, and the healing she found. ​

See a great article written about us by A Wired Family (Read more)!

Meet Ashley, a brave girl who experienced depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts, yet overcame so much and turned her life around!

Take a look at DECA (Dayton Early College Academy) and see why they don't experience bullying, and what they're doing to keep it that way!

We made this video to show that having a bully-free zone truly is possible!

To see more info about DECA, please visit: daytonearlycollege.org

​"Be willing to co-exist with one another and realize that not everyone is like you... and that's okay."

Thank you Owen for speaking out and sharing your story with us - and for your heart to spread more love and acceptance in this world.

​"I'm a friendly kid... I want everybody to know who I am, but it seems like that doesn't work."

Thank you Evan for sharing your story with us. You're a rockstar. You're so brave for speaking out about being bullied. We stand behind you 100%. We are so honored to share your story. 

Let's share his story. Everyone needs to hear. "You CAN have confidence in yourself..."

23 years ago, my mom went in to the hospital with a stomachache and came out with a baby – up to that point, she had no idea she was even pregnant with me for I was conceived out of abuse. 

When I was two years old, I almost drowned in a pond near the apartment where my mom and I were living… this is when people knew she was unable to take care of me. From ages two to thirteen, I was in kinship care – passed between family members every six months to a year, some family better than others. I grew up believing that no one wanted me and, at 13, I started experimenting with drugs. That same year, I attempted suicide twice and was hospitalized for two weeks. That is when I was fully placed into the system. From 14 to 18, I was passed through a few different foster homes where I experienced neglect and abuse. It was not until 18 that I found my forever family. They took me in…and adopted me… but one month later and I was being abused again by my now father. Five months of that went by before I chose homelessness over this family. 

This is the part of my story that I am just now able to share for fear that no one would believe me. I had experienced so much hurt that I told myself I would never trust again… until I met another family who took me in, adopted me, and gave me their last name.

Again, more abuse… and this one impacted me the most. Three failed adoptions and 16 different families since the age of two – I’ve spent my whole life longing for stability and consistency. 

I know this story isn’t easy to hear but it is the reality of so many children who have aged out of the system. Many are not succeeding because of turning to drugs or other things as their source. I have been blessed to have many people in my community that stepped up, took me in, and loved me. It is people like them that change the course of a child’s life – I am 23, have my own apartment, an amazing job, and am currently in school for social work. I now know that there is a purpose for my story and my life. 

My advice for people becoming foster parents is to focus on stability. Commit to bringing stability into every situation. Every child is one caring adult away from being a success story and it is time to step out of your comfort zone and step in to a journey worth taking. 

Although I wish a family would have committed to me, my story has made me who I am today. My healing is a journey and I trust and believe it will be used for a greater purpose.
​
– Trina, Former Foster Youth

Watch the video 2News-WDTN made about the start of It's Time 2!

See more at:
https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/its-time-2-new-business-aims-to-spread-positivity/1036069933