Lupe Salazar
Lupe Salazar's education began when she stopped going to school. "I was homeless by choice," the 17 year old says. Lupe goes on to describe living on the streets, her struggles with addiction, and the serious illness brought on by her circumstances.
The Roseburg, Oregon resident was rescued by her best friend, who helped her return to school. "Just going to school every day was a big step for me," Salazar says. Time on the streets had taught Lupe the value of education -- and the Phoenix School was an ideal match for the returning student. A small independent school, Phoenix is designed for at-risk students. It was there that Lupe watched the film about African orphans that changed her life. "These kids don't have parents or food," Lupe says, and she made a decision. "I wanted to be with kids who didn't 
have anything."
Though Umpqua CDC’s Dream$avers program, Lupe began investing in her future. She earned money through a combination of work and fundraising events. The $600 that Dream$avers contributed enabled Lupe to reach her goal, and she set out for Tanzania, Africa.
Lupe remembers walking into the orphanage for the first time, and seeing the children's faces. "They were so welcoming," she says. She spent nearly a month with them.
Returning to the U.S., Lupe says the experience, with DeamSavers' help, has given her direction and purpose. She plans to volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club and the local YMCA, along with continuing her work with the Homeless Youth Coalition. And she's set her sights on college, with Dream$avers as her partner: once Lupe saves $2,000, the IDA Initiative will provide $6,000 toward her higher education.
Lupe journeyed to Africa, she says, "to help myself, in a way. I was pretty down and out before that." Lupe did help herself, along with the orphans of Tanzania. Thanks to Dream$avers IDA saving program, she also learned to prepare for a meaningful future. "To expect the unexpected," she says. As Lupe continues to learn, and to teach, surely the unexpected can be expected from her!
» I went back to school, too!
» I bought my own home!
» I bought my own home, too!
» I started my own small business!
» I started my own small business, too!
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