LIFT Annual Report 2014: What Matters Most | Page 10

10

REAL STORIES

Plans and Empathy: A
Conversation Between
Karen C & Miss Diarra
Karen Ciestewicz is an Advocate at LIFT-DC
and senior at George Washington University,
majoring in economics and international
relations. Miss Diarra is a recent immigrant
from Mali and LIFT-DC Member.
Miss Diarra: How did you first hear about LIFT?
Karen: When I moved here I was looking for
opportunities to give back. I just Googled
“Community Outreach DC.” What about you?
My aunt told me it was the only place to go where
you could really get the help you need.
You were here on your own, right?
I had just separated from my husband, and my
little boy was arriving here from Africa. The
landlord gave me just one day to get out of my
apartment.
Finding housing on a budget is one of the hardest
things in D.C. We had to create a plan of action.