WEBVTT

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So,

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um,

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the real means care in Somali language.

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The real youth is.

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An initiative

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that became a nonprofit organization that serves young people

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within

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our community that really need.

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The help,

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the compassion,

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these young adults or adults within our community who are

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struggling with mental health crisis,

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who are struggling with the opiate crisis,

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who

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are homeless,

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unhoused,

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who are dealing with addiction

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within the community,

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they want to be seen,

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but we don't see them.

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They're invisible to us.

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And as adults as community members,

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we ignore that

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we stigmatize them

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even though we see their pain,

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even though we see the struggle,

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but then for whatever reason

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we ignore them,

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we don't see them these young people want to be seen

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and that's why we're in a public place that's why

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we are

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this specific location where young people are

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we're here to see them

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acknowledge them,

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show them compassion,

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care for them.

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And

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the pizza and the tea that we offer

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is basically

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that human connection

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to attract them.

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Everyone loves pizza

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whether you're an American

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or immigrant,

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whether you're an adult or youth tea within our culture we love tea.

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And then is something that creates a socialization.

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The few minutes that they're getting the pizza,

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that's when you check up with them and say,

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how you doing today?

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I haven't seen you last Friday.

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Are you all right?

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Because of that,

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it's easier down the road if they're ready

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to go into a rehab and change their life.

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What we do is just to show that.

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You have community members who are not giving up on you,

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people who care about you

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and just keeping that relationship with them because

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like I said they want to be seen they actually need

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the help,

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but because of the mental health crisis,

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the addiction that they're dealing with sometimes

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they really don't know that they're harming themselves.

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So before people would say why are you in the street you're keeping them on the street

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you're spoiling them

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you're keeping them here you're not helping them you encourage them to use drugs

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but now they see

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the fact that we out there acknowledging

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them and

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helping but also connecting them to resources.

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I spent.

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My life in 3 different refugee camps.

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And and

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sometimes not having anything to eat.

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I don't think about those things,

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but.

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I actually went through that.

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Uh,

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as a child,

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but it's in a different situation.

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But still at the end of the day when someone is in need

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we all need

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a helping hand.