“Arapahoe House has given me everything. I live in a nice neighborhood near my mom, and my daughter is in a good school. I love that my daughter knows the real me. All of this is what reminds me that it is not even worth one second of going back to speed.”

For Kerri*, overcoming her drug abuse was one thing, but establishing a stable lifestyle was critical to her continued story of recovery. After Colorado drug treatment, she needed a new routine to avoid her old habits. Kerri entered the Transitional Housing for Families program at Arapahoe House. Working with a case manager, she set goals and took steps to achieve them. Kerri got a job, started working on a degree and was connected to long-term, affordable housing. Balancing motherhood, work and school would have been an impossible idea for her once, but she is grateful for the opportunities she has been given and knows she is up to the challenge.

“I love being independent and I don’t want to see my life move backwards. Without this program, I’m not sure where I would have been. I’d be lucky to have a part-time job making minimum wage and I know I wouldn’t have gotten into school. But now, I can provide for my daughter and I’m working on a career path. I know that all it takes is one decision to go back to nothing.”

In a few months, Kerri will celebrate four years of sobriety from drug abuse. She completed the two-year Transitional Housing for Families program and will soon become certified as an addictions counselor.

“This is all my stuff. I earned everything here. My life used to be unstable, but now I have a job and a home. I work for all of this and reflect on that a lot. I know I have a place to call home. This feels solid for me and my daughter and I love this stability.”
 

*Client name has been changed to protect confidentiality