
02 May Allison’s Story
It was an image in Allison’s head that brought her to her breaking point: her two sons, Isaac and Noah, carrying their backpacks and holding their pillows.
“We’d lived in several different places in two years,” she remembers. “I just couldn’t do it again.”
Allison’s struggle with homelessness began a few years ago. And though it was something new to her, pain and hardship definitely weren’t. Alcohol became a damaging part of her life during a battle with postpartum depression. Later, she says, “I was in a terribly abusive, violent relationship. That’s when I started using drugs.”
In 2020, she made the brave decision to leave the abuser. But in the long months after, with her addiction continuing, she struggled to give her sons a sense of stability as they moved from place to place. “I was desperate,” she says. “I’d definitely burned all my bridges. I knew I wanted help, I just didn’t know where to turn.”
Eventually, Allison temporarily lost custody of her sons. In order to cooperate with the Department of Human Services (DHS), she reached out to our Hope Center for Women and Children. Though joining our life recovery program was a little intimidating at first, she says today she’s grateful she made the decision to stick with it. “I could see the love here. It was probably the first time that I thought, ‘I’m going to be okay,’” she recalls. “I need structure in my life, and this is the place that’s given it to me. I thrive on it. This is an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Currently, Allison is only a few months from completing our entire two-year program, and when she celebrates her graduation, she’ll also be celebrating two years of sobriety! “You get so lost out in the world. A lot of us don’t even take the time to figure out who we are,” she says. “But I’ve figured out my identity in Christ. I’ve learned how to trust Him. Today I can say that no matter what anyone else says, God says I’m worth it. He says I’m enough.”
More than anything, Allison is grateful for the second chance she’s been given with her sons. In fact, of all the milestones she’s reached during her recovery journey, Allison says her best achievement is being present for her sons—attending sporting events and other
extracurricular activities, etc.
Allison has a full-time IT job, she’s active in her church and she’s happy whenever she finds time to enjoy her hobbies. “I love to sing. I’m learning how to play the piano. And my kids and I like to be outside—fishing, swimming, going camping and hiking.”
Today, Allison’s finding herself dreaming of a bright future. She’d like to go back to school, finish her nursing degree and become a traveling nurse. She’s looking forward to becoming a parent partner with DHS, helping other parents who are DHS-involved.
“I used to think I didn’t even deserve my kids. But God said, ‘I’m not done with you yet,’” she says. “Now I want
my sons to see not who I was, but how far I’ve come.”