Home of Hope Students

My life growing up wasn’t all a mess, but there were dark days. Days, my biological dad would break in, beat my mom up, but honestly, my mom did a great job at least shielding me. Though I always wondered why he never wanted to see me. My mom raised my sisters and me in church, and we all have a solid foundation. My mom worked a lot, though, and basically being a single mom until I was ten, she had a lot on her plate. I would try to lighten that load as much as possible, which caused no friends, no normal childhood, but literally a child taking on grown-up thoughts and responsibilities. My addiction began around ten or eleven. I started going to my cousin's because she was older, so I could act older. She was suffering herself. I started drinking and smoking cigarettes and meth. Although I straightened up after two years, almost two decades have gone by, and I am crippled by the drugs again. I know why I used drugs. I sought more time in the day. As long as I could stay moving, I’d do better. Then I figured that in time I would be in a better spot, make more money, and be able to provide and have a better life. So I thought. While here at Home of Hope, I pray that my relationship with God becomes so intimate that I never waver again. I hope to learn meaningful boundaries and know what self-care looks like for me, so I can still do the things I need to do in the world, but also know my worth. Lastly, I pray for restoration and healing, trusting the Lord to restore what the devil thought he stole.

Favorite Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

My name is Alicia, and I came here because I had nowhere to stay, and I was struggling with my drug of choice, which was meth, since I was seventeen. I became a mother at nineteen and lost everything I had at the age of twenty-two. My family offered to watch over my daughter while I was on the streets until 2023. Since I have been at the Home of Hope, I have come to realize many things and have noticed God’s blessings. God has always been by my side, even when I was on drugs. God has shown me the lies I believed about myself and others and has begun healing my heart by revealing the truth.

Favorite Scripture: Hebrews 11:6…and without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever will draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

I grew up in a broken home. My mom left when I was young, and my dad was on drugs. I went back and forth from my dads to my grandparents’ house. When I was 12 years old, I began smoking weed, cigarettes, and drinking. In my early 20’s I started to use cocaine for fun, and it gradually increased into numbing the feelings and to escape my responsibilities. My dad completed the Teen Challenge program. It changed his life. My pastor and dad encouraged me to come here to the Home of Hope. I hope to attain a closer relationship with God, putting all my wants aside and only focus on him.

Favorite Scripture: Psalms 91:2 “It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.”

I experienced a lot of abuse during my childhood, but there were also good times which made for some good memories. We knew of God but there was no relationship with God. The addictions began afflicting my life negatively in my late 20’s early 30’s but I didn’t see my drinking as a real problem in the beginning. At first my drinking was “social”. As time passed it was a way to run from shame & guilt. The first time I went through the Home of Hope my boyfriend who went through the men’s program in Chicago was trying to get me to seek help. While I was detoxing my body locked up and I didn’t know if I was having a stroke or seizure. Then after it passed, I entered Teen Challenge of Arizona. This is now my second time in the program. Because pending warrants, I had to leave the program to serve time. Now I am back and will use this time to realign myself with Christ in a safe environment. I want to let God in so that I can have a stronger relationship with Him.

Favorite Scripture: Psalm 94:18-19 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

Life growing up was not easy. My mother abandoned me and my sister when I was five, and though my father tried, I ended up in foster care for the next 10–11 years. Moving from home to home and school to school, I couldn’t trust or build relationships with anyone. My addiction started at sixteen after my father died. I used heroin with my mother, and between the drugs and self-harm, my life quickly spiraled out of control. Curiosity turned into addiction, heroin led to cocaine, crack, meth, and eventually pills, which I abused freely. I tried Teen Challenge a few times, but never finished until I was pregnant with my first son. That time I graduated, stayed sober for a while, and had three more kids. But I kept drifting in and out of church, unstable and desperate for change. I knew Teen Challenge was my last hope, and the Home of Hope accepted us with open arms. Now, I hope to be deeply rooted in Christ so that no matter what life throws at me, I won’t be moved. I want to surrender everything to Him, restore my family, and live out God’s will, not my own.

Favorite Scripture: Genesis 50:20 - You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Growing up, I was a shy child who depended on my mom a lot. I’ve always cherished my relationships with her and my siblings. However, most of the time, I was alone, and I went through a lot of difficult moments alone, but I searched for different ways to have fun. My struggle with addiction began in high school, though I was first introduced to it in middle school. I used substances to escape bad memories, to feel good about life, and I was also drawn to the way they made me sleep or just sit and think. At the same time, I loved laughing with friends and holding onto moments of joy that were few and far between. What ultimately brought me here was my suicide attempt. I had placed everything in my life before God, which led me down a path of confusion and darkness. I didn’t understand my emotions or why I felt so lost. In this program, I hope to grow spiritually, develop discipline, and learn to forgive myself so I can move forward. I want to fully accept God’s love and overcome the hypocrisy that once clouded my faith. I know I have misrepresented His name in the past, but I am ready to change and walk in truth.

Favorite Scripture: Romans 5:8 - "But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

My childhood growing up was full of love, and I had a good family. There were some disappointments, and I experienced some trauma at an early age, but not from my parents. My brother was my hero, and he committed suicide at 35. He was my only sibling. My addiction began when I was 32 years old. I first tried drugs at 32 because I worked graveyard shifts and had to watch my kids during the day instead of sending them to daycare. I lost my job two months later, along with my marriage, my kids, and my house. I believe I used drugs because of childhood trauma, the uncertainty of life, and the loss of all of the above. It is my desire to strengthen my faith, grow closer to God, and become the mother my children need and deserve. I want to bring everything I learn here to share with my children. While in the program, I hope to become the authentic person God created me to be and to learn to put Him first and foremost, living by His ways.

Favorite Scripture: Proverbs 3:17-18 “Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.”

I grew up in a faith-centered home after my mom remarried a man who took us all under his wing and provided for us. Although I was raised in church, I later tried to navigate life on my own. After a failed marriage in 2017 and unhealed emotional wounds, I turned to alcohol to cope. By 2022, my drinking had become unmanageable. Seeking a desperate change, I moved from Tennessee to Arizona to be closer to my family and entered the Teen Challenge program. Today, I am committed to maintaining my sobriety and growing closer to the Lord so I can become the woman He has called me to be.

Favorite Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

My life growing up was filled with dysfunction and instability. My parents separated when I was just 2 years old. From the outside looking in, our home life was toxic and broken. I took my first drag of a cigarette at just 5 years old. By the age of 13, I was using substances regularly. By 23, I was fully addicted to meth. At first, I used drugs to fit in. Later, I used them to numb the deep feelings of guilt, shame, pain, and sorrow, wounds I didn’t know how to heal. I felt lost and broken, searching for peace in all the wrong places. What I needed was a safe place for both my son and me where I could begin to rebuild my life and grow closer to God. And that’s exactly where He led me: Home of Hope. Today, I want to speak the truth over my life. I want to build a real relationship with God and let Him have full control, not other people, not my past, not my addiction. I'm learning to let go and allow God to lead me into the freedom and future He’s always had for me.

Favorite Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour.”

Life growing up was very unstable. I was taken away from my mother at the age of 3 and placed into the foster care system, where I moved from home to home more than 30 times. That constant instability made me feel unwanted and tossed aside. My addiction began when I entered an abusive relationship with an older man. He would physically hurt me, and then give me Percocet’s to numb the pain he caused. From there, I turned to drugs and alcohol, not just to escape the abuse, but to cope with the pain of rejection and to create a false sense of confidence. I told myself I didn’t care what others thought, but deep down, I was broken. What initially brought me to the Home of Hope was missing the mark in my previous program, and I realized God was giving me another opportunity, this time, to truly get it right. While I’m here, I hope to find true freedom from rejection and to submit completely to God. I want to see the Lord for who He truly is and tear down the lies I’ve believed about Him. I know healing is possible, and I’m here to find it.

Favorite Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Growing up, life seemed new and exciting, and I always had a sense of joy as a kid. It wasn’t always easy, but it wasn’t bad either. As an adult, I struggled to make the best choices I could because I loved someone so much that I followed him everywhere. I am a very loving and loyal person, so I never left. I loved this man, and I believed that we were making the best choices we could because we have children together, and I’d prefer for kids to have a family that stays together, unlike mine. When it came to Teen Challenge, it’s where our parents separated. We ended up losing everything we had, and at that point, I knew something needed to change. Better yet, while being in this program, I hope we have gained a better foundation for my kids and a deeper relationship with God, so that my kids can do the same when they grow up.  

Favorite Scripture: Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I was dropped off at my grandparents' the day after I was born, and I was the youngest of eight siblings. My addiction began when I was fourteen years old. I believe I used drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism; my addiction was to alcohol, marijuana, and meth. What brought me to Teen Challenge of Arizona was that I felt my spirit dying and being devoured by the enemy. What I hope to accomplish while in this program is to learn what the love of Christ means so that I may express this love to others appropriately, and also so that eternity really means something to me.  

Favorite Scripture: Hebrews 11:25 “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin.”

I grew up in a difficult environment where my parents weren’t always present. My mom often chose partying over being at home, so my grandparents became the ones who raised me. By the time I reached my teenage years, I had already taken on the responsibility of raising my younger siblings as if they were my own children. At 16, I started drinking, and not long after, I began experimenting with drugs. By 17, I was using meth. My choices were heavily influenced by peer pressure. I didn’t want to feel left out, and at the time, I thought it was fun. Eventually, someone close to me who had graduated from Teen Challenge told me about the Home of Hope. That was the moment that I decided to step into a new chapter of my life. Now that I’m here, my goals are to graduate from this program, finalize my divorce from my ex-husband, and, in time, remarry to a man after God’s own heart. I want to leave behind the pain of my past and walk fully into the future God has prepared for me.

Favorite Scripture: Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Growing up was very difficult for me, and I often felt like I never really had a childhood. A few years ago, after facing painful situations in my life and the heartbreak of my son going to jail, I turned to alcohol to cope. Eventually, my drinking became a problem, and that is what brought me to the Home of Hope. While I am here, I want to stop drinking, grow closer to God, and learn to follow His plan for my life. Through this program, I am finding hope and healing one day at a time.

Favorite Scripture: Genesis 28:15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.