Statement from Tanya

We help everyone no matter who they are. There are so many different people coming in for help. We should not put people in jail, the City should give people options to enter detox, enter housing, and take on jobs. We need people in power to step up and help people get back on their track. We should not see people as criminals; I see them as family members to give them this second chance.

If they want to, they could have families, kids, and houses. Who knows how successful they could be with a second chance. The people that create the most problems simply need more attention, care, and help. We are one big family at 12th and Jackson and people need that second chance to be happy and healthy. We hope we can help everyone in the community.

One of the five rules that we follow in Buddhism, we do not put toxins in our body, when we put toxins in our body we lose our control and upset people and the world around us. This leads to unhappiness. We are equal, we need to help each other, so we can find happiness within ourselves. We put drugs in our body to feel better, but that only lasts a short time. We can find other ways to find happiness together, by showing our love. If we have to run a race in this life, then we can help each other for each of us to be a winner. That is what we should do.

If people don’t understand this and don’t support us, then so be it, because it is more important to help other people.