I am convinced we have angels walking among us—right here in
Tampa Florida. I offer as evidence Vicki Sokolik, founder of a nonprofit
that helps “unaccompanied homeless youth achieve stability.” Her
divine attributes include patience, tolerance determination,
acceptance, and generosity. In addition, Sokolik displays heroic tenacity
and maintains an abundance of humane attributes.
Born “into money”, cushioned by extravagance love and security, the
word “adversity” didn’t exist in Sokolik’s lexicon. After relocating with
her physician husband from Texas to Tampa, “Vicki” volunteered
delivering holiday meals to underprivileged families. Her “calling” came
in 2008 when her son Cam, a high school senior introduced her to Amanda,
one of his classmates. Molested at home, her mother in jail, Amanda
escaped her residence. She had no regular nighttime accommodation.
Vicki learned there were many others like Amanda. Who were these
kids? Where are they?
Aged 15-19 they are at risk kids, vulnerable students who voluntarily
fled their homes, therefore they were not under the foster care
system. With recommendation from Hillsborough and Pinellas County
high school teachers, counselors and social workers, Vicki mentored
hundreds of these students. Some of them had criminal records, others
volatile anger issues. Several had arrest records, claiming selling drugs
“is often easier than finding employment.” Sokolik’s book, If You See
Them, describes a personal journey that led to the founding of
Tampa’s support organization Starting Right Now (SNR). Her mission
is to give agency to students who are helpless, unable to rebound from
their bleak circumstances without tangible support. There are many
success stories.
Taylor, a student that Vicki mentored, now a social worker, best
describes the obstacles that sent her to SNR. A product of divorced
parents Taylor recalls being hit, beat, punched, living with one parent
who was often jailed. Her mother was suicidal and on drugs. Taylor
also knew about unwanted sexual contact, sleeping on a park bench,
“couch hopping“ in a friend’s house, or getting some shuteye in cars. In
the morning, she went to school. Taylor and many other such students
attend school mainly to receive meals or join sports teams to shower.
With the help of Mayor Pam Iorio and now Mayor Jane Castor, Vicki
relies on funders, donors and federal grants as well as her own
inestimable generosity to secure residences, buy food, assist in
employment or help expunge criminal records for petty theft. She
helped to change legislation and assure American students’ rights to
vital documents required to receive access to universities or places of
employment. What motivates her?
Perhaps it was her own daughter’s painful story. Born with epileptic
seizures, Cori Sokolik had many privileges and opportunities to get
through her rough patches toward better health. Was she the catalyst
that inspired Sokolik to help others? Or is Sokolik truly an angel who
walks among us in Tampa?
