Today i have a pretty good job, income, and benefits. I am in the Self-Determination Program which is working well for me, but I don’t forget where I came from, living 20 years in poverty. I don’t forget those I left behind who still live in poverty and most probably for the rest of their lives. I find no guilt or shame being poor but it does create limits on what you can and can’t do. You have to learn to accept a simpler life without a lot of material stuff we take for granted. You may be poor but you are still entitled to dignity, respect, and your rights. That is why I am involved in advocacy to speak up for those who find it difficult to speak up for themselves.