I am born, and bore my own children, here in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, on land that was taken long ago by my ancestors from the indigenous peoples whose rightful land this is.  I was fortunate to have a safe community in which to grow up and learn with all my basic needs met.  Support from my family allowed me to study Social Work in college at Pennsylvania State University after finding a career that aligned with my spiritual upbringing to be helpful to those around me.  After completing an internship with Lehigh County Office of Children and Youth Services I welcomed the employment opportunity that resulted; however, I found myself overwhelmed as a 21-year-old in the role of Child Protective Services investigator.  I found a better fit working in an ongoing casework role with families and completed graduate school at University of Pennsylvania.  For a time I worked in the criminal justice system in reentry - helping women exiting the local jail return to their communities and reunify with their families.  I returned to public child welfare in an administrative capacity where I currently perform work around quality assurance.  Using my unique, current position I have started small movement -- connecting my institution with community-based efforts and organizations, guiding worker and supervisor practice in family engagement including family group decision making, and breaking down the siloed approach to human services which wastes precious time and resources for children and families.  After learning about The Child Welfare TRUTH-Telling Collective during the 2020 Kempe Conference I became a diligent attendee.  As I shared my ideas to improve my participation experience I was invited to join.  I am grateful to the Collective with whom I express my feelings from a lifetime of positions in oppressive systems and seek the opportunity to channel those feelings toward meaningful change.