Celeste’s Hope, Her Future

There were days I felt like I was going to die a lost, broken and malnourished meth addict. I remember being so cold and hungry and tired.  Nowhere to sleep or eat…cold days riding my bicycle down the same streets over and over again.

Wondering how my kids will feel when they hear their mother has died.  I’d cry out in utter agony as I came to the realization that I’d most likely take the pain to my ultimate resting place as I knew I needed the drug to press on into another day.

Then God reached down and pulled me aside and extended another invitation to me to live for Him.  And I finally accepted. God, father, my everything, thank you!  I know you love me, and your love for me is beyond my ability to comprehend.

Fast forward to today, I received brand new sheets for my bed, because today I have a bed to sleep in. I was blessed with brand new pillows for my bed too! I also got blessed with brand new towels for my bathroom that I also am so thankful for because I have bathed in February in an abandoned house with water that was heated on a Coleman stove while standing because there was no room in the bathtub that was full of the remnants of the drywall that was falling down from the fire that caused the house to be unlivable.

I praise God for where I am today and for placing His hands on me and changing my heart and purifying it. Lord, I love you and thank you for all of my life experiences. The depth of my despair was unbearable at times and because you pulled me out of it and breathed your precious breath into me and brought me back to life, I will spend the rest of it testifying to your powerful saving grace and love unending for your children. 

Thank you, God.

Stacey “Fresh Start for Women has been a gift from God for me.”

Four years ago, Stacey’s ‘normal’ included an addiction to meth, men, and a life of poverty and homelessness.  After hitting rock bottom, she wound up in a local homeless shelter.  Moving to an apartment was a daunting task.   A hefty damage deposit, first month’s rent, utility deposits and the expense of furnishing an apartment, seemed impossible.

She was a great employee and caught the eye of her supervisor who referred her to Fresh Start for Women. There she could have a smaller damage deposit; her rent was manageable, and she only had to pay part of her utilities. People donated items to furnish her apartment and she joined other single women living in the community who were on a path of sober living and working on lifestyle changes. For the next 14 months, she learned about budgeting, forgiveness, hope, and gained confidence in all aspects of her life. These accomplishments led to a full-time job with a recovery program and in May 2019, she moved into a Habitat for Humanity home.  

Just ask Stacey what the future looks like for her and she’ll tell you, “While being a part of the Fresh Start Community, I learned the root of the issues that led to my addiction. They provided a firm foundation that helped me transform into who I need to be in order to have a successful future. Transformation and restoration are what Fresh Start for Women is all about. Now my future has no limits.”

Stacey’s ‘new normal’ includes family time with her son that she now has full custody of, giving back to the community, saving money, preparation for returning to school to obtain a career in counseling and enjoying life!