Vendors
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O ut of Luck?
BY LEONORA KO
Free Counseling
for Gambling Problems
Call 503-239-5952
S T A F F W R IT E R
ophia Xavier is learning to be
responsible again.
^ascariia
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She was bom in Yale, Mich., and
learned about responsibility by mowing
lawns for neighbors.
“I started cutting grass when I was about
13 years old,” Sophia said. “My mom
realized whenever something went wrong
(with the mower), I put it in the repair
shop. I paid for the repairs, and I was being
responsible. And my ma was like, ‘Son,
you’ve got a talent. You’ve got
responsibility.’ We had two acres of
property that I was tired of push-mowing,
and when I surprised my mom with a
new riding mower, she was really
shocked.”
“When I turned 18,1 joined the
Marine Corps,” she said. “I was
wounded after being ejected from
a Hummer. So I pretty much, I
came home in a wheelchair.”
She suffers from post-traumatic
stress disorder and has been
homeless for more than 10 years. She
came to Portland in 2011.
Outside In, a Portland organization that
aids homeless youths and other
marginalized people, helps Sophia with
medications, acupuncture for pain and
other life issues.
transgender,” Sophia said. “I look more like
a guy, and I tell them, ‘It doesn’t happen
overnight; It takes time.’ My name’s not
legally changed, but through
Outside In, it will be. And
they’re helping me with
the removal of my
tattoos. I don’t want my
body to be scarred by
tattoos.
“I’m also going to
see if they have
counselors where I
can talk to them
for my
anger
Street Roots • April 8-14, 2016
management,” she said. “I don’t want to be
an angry soul at all times.”
In the meantime, Sophia has strategies to
deal with her feelings.
“What I do now is I just remove myself
from the situation. I go on a stroll, or I
pull out a book and put my emotions on
paper. I show myself how I can be
better.”
Street Roots has improved her life.
“I’m actually taking responsibility to
take care of myself,” she said.
“Now that I’m with Street Roots, I’m
not flying a sign. I’m eating healthier,
I’m helping out at the office, and I’m
learning to do creative writing now.
“As I help myself, I can also
help other people. In fact,
Arianna and Chris are a
young couple with Street
Roots that I’ve helped
out with bus passes
when they had
limited funds. And
they said, ‘How can
we pay it back?’
and I said, ‘Pay it
forward.’
“Street
| Roots to me is
a family. We
may not be
blood, but
through the paper
organization, we’re
family.”
Holistic • Seif-Empowerment
Physical & Emotional Well-Being
Curiosity * Engagement »Choice
o
CENTRAL CITY
C O FFEE
SMnkuM. IDo-gaod.
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