“I was living on the streets, using heroin, and in and out of jail. I used drugs to numb the pain in my life. However, drugs erased more than just the pain – it took away everything including gratitude and joy. I was empty. The last time I was arrested, I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m done living like this.’ But I didn’t know what to do or where to find help. However, by the grace of God, I found Operation New Hope.”

“And that’s when everything changed. After being in the system for so long, I was no longer a number at Operation New Hope. Everyone here backs you up and looks for ways to help. It’s real love here. And the Ready4Work reentry program set the stage for me to be part of the community. Because the program paid for my transitional housing, gave me clothes, and helped me find food, I didn’t have to go back to the same old way of life to survive. I could focus on making the right choices.”

“After graduating from Ready4Work, I entered the survivor program at Rethreaded and I’ve been working there for more than 6 months now. And just recently, my boss talked with me about moving into a lead position within the year. I am also resident advisor at Awakenings House, helping other women just like me. I absolutely love my job and love my life now.”

“It’s a whole different world. Operation New Hope, Awakenings House, and Rethreaded are like an army of hope surrounding me, helping me put the pieces of my life back together. I now know what God’s purpose is for me and it’s pulling other women up. I have a new found passion to work with survivors and help others with addiction recovery. Those girls are me. I know it can be done because I did it. I am going to use the rest of my life to help others.”

Visit the original blog from Operation New Hope here.