08/01/2024
Lois Hockersmith spent over 20 years in active addiction. “I lost everything, including my parental rights to my 2 oldest children. I had an extensive criminal history with over 45 arrests in Tucson and Las Vegas, and I found myself in a place of hopelessness.”
She didn’t know she was pregnant when her 3rd child was born, at 24 weeks, into addiction, and with a 1% chance of survival.
Lois had reached her bottom. She then went through a 6-month rehab and an 18-month reentry program. Determined to succeed, she became a case manager and job readiness trainer for the same reentry program, and in 2020 earned presidential recognition for her story and her success with her clients.
Today, she has a close and loving relationships with her 3 children and 5 grandchildren, and her “miracle baby” son is a star student. Lois loves her job and the people she works with. “What's so special about OPCS is this isn't a job to me or my coworkers; it's a way of life. The people that work here, have the heart to help, and not just work to get a paycheck.”
