I had the pleasure of meeting Liz in 2012 at the Pat's Place shelter for women and children. She was a sweet teenager that had an undeniable, special something about her...a sparkle in her eyes. The time came for Liz to graduate high school, and she had no way to continue her education. My husband Jack and I were staying at Pat's Place at the time (2014) and could not believe someone with so much potential had no options to make a better life for herself. We questioned Laura, the director of the shelter, about this and it turns out Liz had looked into colleges with the hope that God would make a way. Liz desired to become a chef, which in Peru equates to a culinary artist. Peru has one of the top cuisines in the entire world (read more at http://www.makeamiracle.net/news). We desperately wanted to help our sweet girl Liz and could not believe the cost was about the same (or even less than) a bar tab at our favorite sports bar (Pepps). How could we say no to changing her life for under $100 per month? Looking back, I don't know why we had to sleep on this decision. It was one of the best decisions we ever made, and was on the of the things that helped start Make a Miracle.
I have to brag on Liz now. Liz is getting ready to graduate in May. She has worked tirelessly in both classrooms and hot kitchens to learn this amazing skill. She absolutely loves being a "food artist" and hopes to work on a cruise ship one day. Her dream is to eventually open her own restaurant. Believe it or not, all of the food pictures on this blog are her creation. This talented girl with a sparkle in her eye is going far, and I am so proud of her!