Hi, my name is Miki, and I am a newly certified Community Support Services Specialist (CCSS) dedicated to helping individuals in recovery from addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma.

I'm currently raising funds to train my puppy Nannook to become a certified therapy and service dog, so he and I can work together in the service of helping others create a better life.

A large part of my life and purpose here on earth has been devoted to helping others heal. After loosing my step father in his battle with addiction (walking through the pain of seeing my mom loose her husband and my brother loose his father) in 2022, as well as the loss of my best friend Selena Valencia in 2017 to domestic violence, and many other impactful people in my life, I decided to follow the most high calling on my life to serve others to become the change in my community I wanted to see. In 2018, my calling led me to study Native Environmental Science at the Northwest Indian College in an effort to revive indigenous medicine. I had the opportunity to work cross-culturally with other indigenous people throughout the region of Oaxaca, Mexico, where I began to learn how we can integrate Western and traditional methods to fully heal and recover. I myself have also overcome many battles that have brought me the strength I walk with today. I made a decision to stop living just to pay bills, and instead dedicate my life to being of service, helping break generational cycles that have kept people disconnected from reaching their highest potential and truest purpose in life.

I believe we all have an innate ability to bring healing and wellness to others when we tap into our gifts and turn our pain into our greatest asset. Nanook was brought into my life to bring healing to myself, my family, my community, and help me carry out the journey of serving others and bringing healing to the earth.

Many individuals' hearts soften when they see a cute dog, and oftentimes, trauma survivors or people walking with a great amount of depression can heal from these encounters. Statistically, petting a dog reduces stress and anxiety for nearly 69% of people and 86% and above for those who have varied effects of clinical depression.

My goal is to work with those in the community who have survived many hardships, tribal communities, nursing homes, hospitals, and any place that may not have had many happy days.

Nanook has a naturally gentle and loving spirit, and I truly believe has the ability to bring healing into spaces where it is deeply needed.

The training program I have found will take him through puppy training, obedience, and full certification for therapy and service work. The total cost for this program is $3600.00. The goal of $3800.00 will go towards Nanook's food, care, and supplies during training.

This training program would allow Nanook to work alongside me in supporting individuals on their recovery journey, offering comfort, grounding, and unconditional presence to people who need it most. He will also be getting certified and growing as I will. I will be returning to school with a goal of many certifications and the hope of a Master's Degree in psychology and social work to help those like my best friend and my stepdad, who had to take their last bow a little earlier than some of us. My hope is to help heal families and bring people back together.

I believe this, in itself, can be a form of community work together. I will post pictures of his progress, classes, and eventually, with the agreement of individuals, his work out in the community we tackle together.

I am grateful for this opportunity and am hopeful it will all work for the highest good.

Thank you and way-weh-nah. Let's do this <3