Katie’s childhood was filled with love, thanks to her caring and nurturing mother. However, life took a tragic turn when her mother passed away suddenly when Katie was just 18 years old. The loss sent her spiraling into a dark and complex world. Katie struggled for years with alcohol and drug abuse, attempting to numb her pain and escape from life’s harsh realities.

Amid many ups and downs—and becoming a mother herself—she was unable to find stability. Her addiction to meth and alcohol, as well as an abusive relationship, made it difficult for her to provide a loving and joyous environment for her daughter. After losing custody of her daughter and facing several warrants for fraud, Katie began to live in trap houses doing whatever it took to sustain her addiction. But after her final incarceration, she realized she needed to choose between remaining lost in addiction or becoming the mother she knew she could be.

Katie chose to commit to a healthier life. She gained full custody of her daughter and has been sober since 2017. She moved out from our recovery apartments and recently received her associate degree of Fitness and Nutrition—graduating with honors with a 3.8 GPA!

Katie will always be grateful for the support and guidance Healing House provided, allowing her to reclaim her life and make a positive impact on her family. “God is healing me one day at a time, I know it!”

Before Robin left the Chillicothe Correctional Center, she needed a home plan. She was relieved when her application to Healing House was accepted.

“I had a good family,” Robin recalls. “I spent summers with my grandparents and my mom and aunt were good role models.” Still, Robin became addicted to alcohol and drugs and eventually was arrested and sentenced to prison time. “If I hadn’t been drinking, I’d never have gotten in trouble,” she notes.

Robin was nervous when she arrived at Healing House after prison. “But everyone was kind, and within a week, I felt good; Healing House brought God back into my life,” she says. “At 54, I never thought I could live without drinking or using drugs!”

While she looks forward to having her own place, Robin knows it’s essential to maintain her relationships at Healing House. “I need the support of people that understand how hard it is,” she notes.

Robin credits God, her community, and her 12-Step work for her recovery and her new job. “I thought it would never happen,” she remembers. “I prayed, ‘God, I’m older and don’t have much work history, so please help me.’ And he did!”

Despite her fears about her new job, Robin discovered she could handle the challenges. She says, “I can do anything I set my mind to!”

Robin wants donors to know what they’re doing is important because it changes people’s lives. “I didn’t have much hope, but now I have faith that it will be all right. I don’t know how it will happen, but it will be all right,” she says with a smile.

“If I hadn’t come here, I would likely be sitting in jail,” Brandon said. “I lost my truck. I lost my girlfriend. Then, I lost my job and my apartment. It just spiraled down.” Finally, when he received three DUIs in one year, he decided to clean himself up.

“I always believed in God. I sang in the church choir until I was 12 or 13.” Although Brandon drifted from his church roots, he held on to his faith. “I didn’t want to come to Healing House at first,” he recalls. “But I prayed about it and here I am.”

Brandon considered his experiences the worst life could bring and that no one cared. But as he listened to Ms. Bobbie Jo’s and others’ stories, he thought, “Well, mine isn’t that bad. It made me feel at home, more comfortable.” Although he planned to stay for 30 days, he decided to “stick around” when he saw so many people bravely facing their challenges. “It was all new to me,” he says. “But I was willing to give it a try.”

Brandon understands that he has a lot of work ahead of him. But he is learning to take life one day at a time and with the support of his sponsor and others at Healing House, he is learning to be more open. “In the past, I’d grab a bottle if I was having a bad day,” Brandon notes. “Now I make it through difficult situations without using. Now I’m clear-headed!”

“The blessings continue to pour in as I strive to do the right thing every day. Thank you, God. And thank you, Healing House!”

While Richard was in prison, a man sharing his cell recommended Healing House as a place to get a new start. He stayed in our McNeely House while he eased into meeting new people, taking classes, and setting goals for the future. “I’m kind of a loner, but when I learned many on the staff were in recovery, too, I realized I could talk to them.”

Richard said that he received the time he needed and the tools with classes on finances, parenting, finding a job, “Someone was always there to help me.”

Today, Richard is a different man. He’s committed his life to Jesus, has a full-time job, and volunteers at Healing House whenever he can. “The people here have become family, challenging me out of love, feeding my soul.”

It was Kentrell’s third time at Healing House that was the charm. He’d been here twice before but just couldn’t envision his life without drugs and alcohol— it was all he’d ever known. He’d been through a few outpatient treatment programs, mostly to evade probation. Then in 2020, Kentrell was remanded to a penitentiary treatment program.

Shortly after his release, Kentrell’s girlfriend gave birth to their son. But she took off, leaving the baby with Kentrell. Without any support from family, he returned to old friends and old habits.

Soon, Kentrell was arrested again on outstanding warrants. Once released, he sought refuge with an aunt who had always been supportive. She introduced him to the Imani Breakthrough Project, a group-based support program, and he joined in May 2022. That decision transformed his life.

Back at Healing House for the third time, Kentrell struggled with anxiety. He shared that the first few weeks were tough, but he found solace in the welcoming community. This time, he was determined to listen and learn, making sure this time would be different.

“I’m grateful to say I’ve reached the other side,” Kentrell says. He is so thankful for the tough love and prayers of his auntie, mother and grandmother and credits his strengthened faith in God for his recovery journey success.

Today, Kentrell’s kids are back in his life. He has cleared all his debt and purchased a new car. He has a job he loves, serves as a house leader and is repairing broken relationships with his family.

“I’m thankful for the people who take time and give money to put into Healing House. It’s God’s place,” he smiles.

Julia is giving her son something she never had—a parent who is hardworking, sober and present. Julia’s struggle with addiction began at age 15 when her father introduced her to meth. By the time she was 19, she was getting high with unfamiliar people in uncomfortable situations, mostly with her dad and his friends.

Julia hit rock bottom in Chillicothe, Missouri, when her boyfriend died, and she was arrested on charges of manslaughter. She spent a year in county jail fighting the charges, but the guilt of his death weighed heavily on her.

Shortly after her release, Julia came across Healing House, which offered an escape from her destructive family life. She was accepted into Purple House, but she struggled to follow the rules and was asked to leave in 2017.

She soon fell into an abusive relationship and began using again, sleeping in hotels or her car. Eventually, she went back to prison, where she realized she needed the structure and support offered by Healing House. She contacted Mama Judi and returned to Purple House in 2018.

Things were good for two years. But in 2020, she became pregnant and left Healing House to move in with the baby’s father. After her son was born, she relapsed into addiction. She lost custody after a near fatal overdose.

Julia returned to Healing House a third time, this time determined to beat her addiction for herself and for her son. She applied the lessons she’d learned in the past, secured her own apartment and embraced independent living.

Today, Julia is driven by her desire to be a responsible parent to her son, Wesley. She loves spending time with him—a connection she never dreamed possible while battling addiction.
“You can’t run from drugs,” Julia explains. “They are everywhere. But at Healing House, they give you the tools to succeed.”