NAACP 2016 Annual Freedom Fund & Award Banquet - Photo: Me (Alessandra Toscanelli) with law enforcement & the President of the Pocatello Branch NAACP

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

I found this quote to be incredibly true as I found myself standing side-by-side with United States Marshall, Brian T. Underwood, and our local law enforcement. **See post picture or picture featured in the ISJ article for names.

Photo, left to right: Celeste Stiggers, Alessandra Toscanelli, Pastor Jacqualine Thomas of Praise Temple of God, Pocatello, Idaho

Pastor Thomas reminds me often as we work together on a nonprofit to benefit the homeless & give hope to our community to hold my head high and know "I am not my mistakes." I repeat that mantra often when I feel nervous about being judged or experience feelings of insecurity or low self-esteem. Dr. King also said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."  I have to live on faith & believe that God has a purpose for my experiences. Mostly, I think of all those who could benefit from sharing my views on poverty, homelessness, surviving abuse, rebuilding a life from the wreckage of a stormy past & the hope that there is always a brighter future if we focus on connecting to our own humanity. As King also said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?"

With my mantra fully about my spirit, my heart on my sleeve, my brains in my head, & my heels on my feet... I attended the Banquet & remembered who I am... I am a woman with a past yet I am not my past. I am a woman who made mistakes yet I am not my mistakes. I am a woman with more to give, people to help, love to share, & world of possibilities to explore.

To read more about the banquet, click here:

NAACP Award Banquet Article - Alessandra Toscanelli for the Idaho State Journal