Susie Vanderlip, professional speaker, author, college professor and prevention expert travels across the country performing and connecting with teenagers, because as she says, “My favorite place is anywhere kids talk to me.” 

She brought her theatrical one-woman show A Legacy of Hope to Battle Creek’s Burnham Brook Center on May 8 and 9.   Susie introduced kids and some 90 representatives from nonprofits, the foundation community, law enforcement, and other organizations to characters based on real people who are struggling, their issues showing up as their own or a family member’s drug use, alcoholism, domestic violence, gang involvement or sexual promiscuity. 

Susie bounced around the stage captivating the audience as she changed costumes and characters, talking with the anxious voices of a gang member; a 14-year old who has been exposed to AIDS: and a host of other hurt, confused individuals.  “The teens know I am not going to judge them,” she says, adding, “On the inside we are all alike. 

Her visit to Battle Creek was sponsored by Family & Children Services, the Calhoun County Public Health Department, and the United Way of Greater Battle Creek.  These nonprofits and others are working together to get practical decision making tools into the hands of local young people to help them make healthier choices about sexuality through a United Way-funded project, “The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership” or TP3 as it is known in short. 

Local teens participated in a TP3 logo contest.  Winners of the contest were announced at the start of Thursday’s program.  Family & Children Services will provide a professional graphic designer to work with the teens and their winning entries to transform one of them into a logo for the overall TP3 effort. For more information about Susie Vanderlip, visit her website at www.legacyofhope.com. For more information about TP3 contact Ted Lindberg or Terre Scott at Family & Children Services, 965-3247.