05/01/2026
✨Alumni Spotlight ✨
“Freedom House is something special. It’s not just another program.
When I first got to Freedom House , the only thing I knew about myself was that I was broken. I didn’t know how to get out of my own way. One of the first suggestions I was given was to forget everything I thought I knew and leave it at the door. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
I had to learn not only how to ask for help, but how to accept the help the people around me were trying to give.
I’ve learned to show up no matter what, whether I’m happy, sad, sick, tired, or completely exhausted. Just keep showing up. It was the little moments, the small victories, that made the biggest impact. And not just my own, but being a part of my sisters’ moments too. Helping someone else. Learning to listen. Learning the value of patience.
If you would’ve asked me a year ago who I would be today, I would’ve sold myself short. But one step at a time, one question at a time, one action at a time, that’s what leads to the big win. And when one of us wins, we all win.
The women here, who are now my family, have been a foundation in my recovery. We’ve laughed, cried, celebrated, shared meals, lifted each other up. We’ve been therapists, couch potatoes, bus buddies. We’ve learned to love one another despite where we came from or how we got here.
We are not just a group of women in a sober living house. We are sisters.
Because of all of Freedom House and because of Narcotics Anonymous, I am not leaving Freedom House knowing only brokenness.
Today, I leave knowing who I am.
I am a mother.
A daughter.
A friend.
A sister.
A partner.
I am honest, compassionate, and kind.
I am worthy of love.
My word holds value.
I am clothed with strength and dignity, and I can laugh without fear of the future.
I could go on, because today my list is long.
But most importantly, thank you to everyone who was, who is, and who continues to be a part of my recovery journey.
I am living proof that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.”💜