the Power of U, Lives Are Changed!

Johnna's father died when she was 5, and her mother turned to drugs to numb her loneliness and grief. Her mom's need for that feeling of euphoria overshadowed any concern she might have had for Johnna and her five siblings. "When I was 12, I was molested by my mother's boyfriend and my mother didn't believe me," she shares. That's when the children were placed in foster care.

At 17, Johnna began using alcohol and methamphetamine to cope with the still painful effects of her mother's abandonment and the sexual abuse her mother had ignored. At 19, she had her first child, but the baby had no impact on her self-destructive habits. "I lived with other drug addicts at their houses," she explains. Finally, at 24, after spending five months in jail—and pregnant with her youngest son—she knew there had to be a better way to live and raise her children. "I heard about Hope Ministries' program and it sounded like an awesome way to change my life, better myself and come to know God."

"Since I've been at Hope Family Center, I'm working on my past and a lot of my thought processes," Johnna continues. While she'd hoped to rebuild her relationship with her mother, her mom is still an active user. "She's not healthy for me—so I had to let her go. I've experienced God's peace lately, and I know I have a family through God now."

In addition to the relapse prevention, money management and spiritual guidance we're providing Johnna in our HEART Recovery Program, she's also learning to become a stable and responsible mother for her children. Her youngest son Brayden lives with her at Hope Family Center. She shares custody of her older son Derek with his father, and he visits her here on weekends. "My kids are able to see me healthy—to see me change!" she says with joy.

"If I hadn't come to Hope Family Center, I could be back out there using and not be a part of my kids' lives. I didn't have the knowledge or the skills I do now." The Power of U has given Johnna and her children a bright future filled with hope. Thank you for all you do.