Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1371

Tonight's special guest is Shellilyn Weese from Denver, President of L.I.F.E.H.O.U.S.E. Colorado, where they rescue abandon children providing education, housing and a home life in a energy efficient, self-sustaining community. As the web site explains, "With our passion, dedication and goals of improvement of not just our community, but also the world, we hope to inspire, educate, and provide love to all that we have the opportunity to help!" Thirty years ago, just three days after birth, a beautiful biracial child was separated from her imprisoned and crack addicted mother, and placed in an all white foster home. She remained there for 18 years. "We lived in constant state of chaos, uncleanliness and neglect," Shellilyn reports, "complete with drugs and alcohol, torture, starvation, molestation and rape." She was 15 when Shellilyn first tried to overdose. A teacher confronted her, saying she could change her life by doing well at school. Slowly Shellilyn went from drinking, smoking and partying at eight years old to graduating from high school sober. Nursing school followed, as did a degree in healthcare administration. But she still wasn't satisfied. Shellilyn shared her ideas for a non-profit to help children with a friend who encouraged her to start right away. "And that night, "L.I.F.E.H.O.U.S.E. Colorado" was born. We are still in the early stages of development and funding but our mission is "To rescue abandoned children and to provide them with education, housing, and a home life in an energy efficient, self-sustainable community”. She goes on, "It is our time now to change what we can in the world before the world stops giving us time to get it done. And we shall."