Board Member Spotlight: Alexa Lachman – Inspiring our community!
Blog by Karen Rush, Executive Director
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Alexa Lachman, Board Member for Children’s Center, to learn more about her vision for our community. If you have watched our therapy video, you may recognize Alexa’s powerful message regarding the importance of listening to children and offering therapy and support to heal from trauma. Alexa is a Realtor in Oregon City and has been on our Board since January of 2022. Please read the Q and A below and feel free to be INSPIRED by Alexa!
What got you interested in being on the board of Children’s Center?
I wanted to find a place where I could contribute financially, but wanted it to have a personal connection to me. I reached out to the Children’s Center and was invited for a tour. During the tour, it was one of those moments in my life where I realized that that this is a place that would have changed my life if it had existed when I was a kid. I want to do my part to make sure this space continues to exist and is available to kids in our community.
You have shared your story in our video about therapy at Children’s Center. How does telling your story help our community?
I feel like I am a person who is full of joy, passion, and enthusiasm. I think it is important for people to know that you can have a complicated and traumatic backstory and still have the life you want to have. I think everyone finds their way through it but there are ways that are best – Trauma-focused therapy helps to differentiate between who you are and the byproducts of that experience. For the community it is important to realize that this can happen in any family and that no matter what it was or how long ago it happened, you can still heal.
We know that children who identify in the LGBTQ+ community are at greater risk for child abuse and neglect. How can we do better as a community to support them?
The biggest thing right now is “Believe Kids.” No one chooses a complicated identity – it is fluid and normal for it to change over life. When an adult tells a kid, “you will grow out of this”, it creates a relationship that lacks trust. The biggest gift you can give a kid in your community, regardless of identity, is to be there as a trusted adult and honor their experience, even and especially if it’s not what you experienced. The whole point of guiding kids is to let them unfold as who they are. Anyone in the community can give this to a child, you don’t have to be a family member.
Tell us a little bit about yourself- what brings you joy?
I found the most amazing group of women at a gym called “Fit for Excellence.” I love stand up paddleboarding. I teach yoga and have been practicing about 12 years. I have three cats and a wonderful chosen family that I have collected over the years. Professionally, I am a realtor and my passion is advocacy, particularly children, and the LGBTQ2+ community.
Thank you Alexa for your service to the community! Your passion clearly shines through and inspires all of us to work together to achieve our mission to end child abuse and neglect and create a world where all children feel safe, valued, and heard.