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International Women's Day
Threads of Hope—Present: Lakesha Burton Feature
When the Rethreaded team thought about featuring a woman who exemplifies what it means to thread hope in the present—a woman making things happen here and now, while changing the world through loving our community—Lakesha Burton immediately came to mind.
Photo cred: 904 Wraps
Lakesha Burton is a 20 year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office. She also shared with us, “In over 200 years of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office,Burton is the fourth black female police Sergeant, second black female Lieutenant and fourth black female Assistant Chief.” Lakesha is also the first female PAL (Police Athletic League) Executive Director in 45 years!
Lakesha has traveled for mission work and serves the community 24/7. Her passion is advocacy and outreach. We are so lucky that our organization has crossed paths with her. She is a light and inspiration to this world. Whenever you interact with Lakesha, you are reminded that there is hope in this world and that you have value.
When we asked Assistant Chief Burton if we could interview her for an International Women’s Day feature, she could hardly contain her excitement and said she would be more than happy to open the door to offer us a glimpse into her world. The following interview is a small peek into Lakesha’s life and insight into what hope means to her:
Photo Cred: Lakesha Burton
Q: “What does hope mean to you?”
A: “My hope is in Jesus! Romans 8:37. I’m more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus!”
Q: “What does it mean to thread hope within your community?”
A: “Threading hope into my community has been my passion and focus for a long time. It was the catalyst for me choosing this profession of Law Enforcement. I believe that my life journey prepared me to intimately and genuinely connect with different people in our community.Threading hope in the community is really about sharing love!”
Q: “What makes you feel empowered?”
A: “Loving who God created me to be and accepting the assignment he has given me to do in the world! The freedom to be my authentic me. Using my voice, sharing my story, speaking my truth about victimization and sharing love makes me feel empowered!”
Q: “What do you do to bring hope into the community?”
A: “SERVE. Service takes on different forms and spaces every day. It’s sometimes spontaneous and most times organic. I see myself as a resource and advocate for the members of our community no matter of their color, race, creed, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, etc.. I use my role as a Law Enforcement officer as a platform but it does not define who I am. When we serve with a servant’s heart it translates to hope. Then the community feels like they can trust you. You care and are committed. These coupled with resources and action, equates to Hope.”
Photo cred: Lakesha Burton
Q: “How do you work to bring hope into your personal life?”
A: “My past life experiences have caused me to have a different perspective and outlook about HOPE.My HOPE is not contingent upon whether I’m at work or not, it’s a way of life for me. In 1992, hopelessness almost convinced me to commit suicide. God saved my life and HE (HOPE) resides on the inside of me. My faith and family inspire me.”
Q: “Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?”
A:“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” - Ghandi
Photo cred: Lakesha Burton
Q:“Who is a role model that has threaded hope into your life?”
A: “I’ve been blessed to have many individuals thread hope into my life over the years, but the one that is constant every single day is my best friend, my husband, Greg Burton. This is the man that God created and saved just for me. I never imagined or thought I was worthy of a good respectable man until he entered my life. Greg Burton is everything good. He is honest, kind, compassionate, a provider and loves his family unconditionally. He is my biggest fan and encourages me to be my authentic self every day!When someone encourages you to be your authentic self every day, that’s threading hope into someone’s life!”
We hope that the take away from this is that anything is possible. Lakesha is an amazing example of a woman who has overcome hardship and has thrived. What woman has threaded hope into your life?
Looking for a tangible way to thread hope into the community like Lakesha? With every purchase of a Threads For HopeYOU are providing an hour of job training for a survivor of human trafficking. Purchase one for yourself, then get one at 50% OFF to give to a woman in your community who threading hope every single day.
Today and Friday, March 8, 2019, when you purchase a Threads For Hope you can purchase a second one for half off. Share the message of hope with all the amazing women in your life. (Sale ends Friday, March 8, 2019, at 11:59 p.m., no code necessary, promotion valid on multiple Threads for Hope bracelets)
Tomorrow will be our final feature, Threads For Hope: Future
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