Project Roar

A letter from Jess:

Today, I write to you as the Founder of my own awareness initiative called Project Roar. Project Roar symbolizes using your voice to speak out, to rid yourself of the shame and secrets, and free your heart from the pain of remaining silent for so long. When you hear a roar, you listen. The hair on the back of your neck stands up. A roar gets your attention. That is what I aim to do. What I dedicate the rest of my life to doing. My silence no longer exists, or controls my life and my heart. My voice is loud. It is powerful. It is capable of evoking and calling for change.

The very moment I decided to speak out, was the exact moment I gained my power back. My silence was like letting him hold the leash and lead me through my life. Now, I am the leader of my life. I am the one in control of my voice, my thoughts, and my opinions. I no longer have to live in fear. I no longer feel powerless. By keeping silent, by keeping my story to myself, I was letting him win. Now, I am winning. I am victorious over my years of sexual abuse as a child. I am not a victim, silenced by the empty threats of an adult who took advantage of childhood innocence. I am a survivor of my experiences. I am a roarior – a person who speaks about the unspeakable without reservation or fear of judgment.

I never could have pictured the empowerment I could receive from my years of sexual trauma. If I met 15 year old Jessie and told her that in ten years she would be creating a non profit organization about childhood sexual abuse, I would have laughed.

I no longer feel like my child sexual abuse experiences define my life. Now, I define how my child sexual abuse experiences fit into my life. I view myself as so much more than a victim of horrendous acts. I view myself with pride, with confidence and with a hope of delivering inspiration to others.

There are so many things my perpetrator stole from me. But, he didn’t steal my voice.

To find out more about Jessica and Project Roar, visit Facebook.com/theprojectroar or contact theprojectroar@gmail.com