Danielle’s Story

“Eleven years ago, my husband committed suicide. I had two small children and wasn’t prepared for how much my life was going to change. I started using drugs recreationally at first, but when I found that they kept me numb, using became a daily routine. I was a registered nurse, and I lost my license due to a failed drug test.

After that, I didn’t have much to hold onto. I lost my home, and I lost custody of my kids in 2019. They were the last thing that kept me grounded. I started selling drugs and living out of my car. I was living day-to-day, just trying to make it through each day. It was a dark time. Getting a place to live and getting my kids back were in the back of my mind, but I didn’t know how to do it and didn’t have hope that I could. In 2022, I was arrested for drug trafficking and ended up at the Warren County Jail.

Someone from Hope House came to the jail and gave a presentation about Program Living for Women, and I filled out an application that day. While I was in jail, I took Jobs for Life, and it was the two and a half hours out of each week where I felt like I had purpose. I looked forward to Thursdays every week to get out of my cell and be with the teacher and the champions. They were so happy to see us, and they cared about what was going on in our lives. I hadn’t felt that sort of love in a long time. The program director came to Jobs for Life one day, and when I told him I had already submitted an application, he knew my name and said they had been praying about my application. That’s when I knew I wanted to go to Program Living.

When I got to the facility, all I could do was cry. I felt a new hope for tomorrow. I had been talking about going, and it was overwhelming that it was reality. The facility was so nice, and it was almost surreal. Ten months in jail seemed like forever, and I couldn’t believe I actually made it. It took some time to get used to the schedule of the program, but everyone was so welcoming. I’m still friends with the women I met when I started the program, even though some have graduated.

I believed in Jesus when I started the program, but I had never studied the Bible the way we were studying it. I felt like I had a reconnection with God, and I didn’t expect it to happen that quickly. I felt like every volunteer who taught a class genuinely cared about what they were doing. My experience was everything I’d hoped for, and even more than I thought it would be. Becoming part of a church where I felt welcomed was a highlight of the program for me.

Before my husband died, I tried to start my fitness journey, but I gave up on it and never went to the gym. Besides being in the Word everyday, crossfit has been one of the best things for me. I wanted to focus on my physical health, and I’ve lost 72 pounds in seven months. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter about finishing best; it just matters that I finish. Program Living has taught me the importance of showing up and doing the best I can every day. At the beginning, I focused on other people’s progress instead of my own. Now, I focus on my progress and have faith that I’m going where I need to go.

God has shown his love to me through so many people. He has shown me that I’m not in this alone. Before, I felt forgotten by God, but getting through this program has shown me that God’s been here all along. Ecclesiastes 4:12 is my favorite verse because I’ve learned there is strength in being surrounded by so many people who have good intentions. I didn’t feel like that existed anymore before I came to Program Living. I came out of jail with the clothes on my back, and this program has opened so many doors and given me resources to succeed.

People I knew before the program are now proud of me. Even people who aren’t where they want to be look to me and say, “I want what you have,” and I’ve never had that in life. The fact that I’ve inspired anybody else is a wonderful thing to me. I’m still working to restore my relationship with my children, and I go back to family court soon. My relationship with them is the one I miss the most, but I know that God will make a way. It just won’t be on my time. Restoring my relationship with God started the domino effect of everything that has been good in my life since then.

I want to start my own car detailing business, and I’m in the beginning stages of that. Once I get my LLC, I might be able to partner with New Leaf to hire people in the program. That makes me feel good to think about giving back to people in recovery. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a place that was mine, and now I’m looking for a place to live. I’ve gone from having no one to turn to, to having a whole network of people to turn to. I want to continue to grow my relationship with God, and I know that as long as I keep Him as the foundation of everything I do, I can handle anything, no matter what comes my way.”