.jpg)
Who: Liana Reschke
What: Volunteer with Servants Anonymous Association
Why she’s an A-Lister: She spent nine months as a live-in volunteer with women escaping prostitution.
Liana Reschke doesn’t like it when things get too comfortable. So when she took stock of her life just over a year ago, the edgy, 39-year-old legal assistant thought she was just a little too settled.
“I had a beautiful condo, a job that was as stable as it gets,” Reschke says. “Everything was perfect. Everything was so easy.”
That all changed when Reschke overheard that Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary (SAS) was in need of live-in volunteers to stay in its five homes located around the city. The homes serve as the first recovery centre for women attempting to leave the sex trade and reintegrate back into society. It was an opportunity that required the intense commitment Reschke was interested in giving.
Soon, she moved into a house with roommates who had been sexually exploited and abused, some were HIV-positive, infected with hepatitis C and struggled with addiction.
For nine months she lived a dual life, going to work at a downtown law firm during the day and returning at night to a house with women who were often unstable and self-destructive.
She witnessed failure more times than success — of the nine women who stayed with her, only two didn’t go back to the streets. “They just weren’t ready that time,” Reschke says.
There were also good times — movie nights, road trips and the birth of two of her roommates’ babies. She gained a new perspective of the women others cross the street to avoid.
“I don’t judge anymore. You can’t judge until you hear their stories,” she says of the women who have spent their entire lives being victim-ized and loathing themselves.
Reschke has since taken a break from SAS and now volunteers as a youth mentor for The Hera Society, which helps at-risk girls between the ages of 13 and 17. Reschke spends time with her mentee, providing support and companionship. Due to her time with SAS, Reschke brings the credibility of someone who knows first-hand the damage risky behaviour can cause, but she can also talk of her successes as an alternative.
Reschke brushes off any suggestion that her dedication to SAS was extraordinary, saying anyone can do it with a little commitment.
What Can You Do?
Shop at SAS’s seventh annual Book Drive and Sale. More than 750,000 volumes priced be-tween $1 and $3 are available to purchase. The sale takes place June 12-14 and 19-21 at Crossroads Market (1235 26 Ave. S.E.). servantsanon.com
Donate event tickets for concerts or sporting events to Kids Up Front, which passes them on to organizations such as The Hera Society so participants can attend with their mentors. 403-444-4246, kidsupfront.com
Return to the Avenue A-List 2009 Main Page
Post new comment