Hope Adrian, one of our younger volunteers, was born with Cerebral Palsy. She utilizes her walking sticks or wheelchair to get around. Hope also serves as a member of A Touch of Understanding’s Youth FORCE (Friends Offering Respect, Creating Empowerment).

Hope has blessed ATOU with her kind and bubbly presence for years, when a friend convinced her to attend a presentation. Luckily, ATOU left an impression on her! When we came to her school, Hope bravely spoke to all the 6^th – 8^th graders at her school. Hope’s courageous story certainly left an impression on her classmates and, after the presentations, students paid her much more attention. She explains that after the presentations, “kids were always giving me hugs, high-fives and saying “Hi”. I kinda felt like a celebrity. I didn’t realize how much I was being ignored before.”

Since these presentations, Hope speaks regularly at our presentations. Students really empathize with her and she has an amazing soul for such a young individual.

Hope explains that ATOU has really made an awesome difference in her life and ends with the thought, “I think if everyone went through this program, the world would be a whole different place.” We are so appreciative that Hope is part of our ATOU family!