When I came to WeCare, I was at one of the lowest points of my life. I had lost everything a person could lose except my life. I was exhausted, empty, and completely hopeless. I had given up on everything in my life and believed my daughter was better off without me because I was only hurting her and creating more trauma in her life. When everyone else in my life had given up on me, relationships were broken, my family disowned me and I felt completely alone, WeCare opened their doors and welcomed me with open arms. They didn’t see an addict. They didn’t see a failure. They saw a person worth loving. And they loved me in a way I didn’t even know was possible. They loved me on the days when I was hard to love, when I was angry, hateful and dismissive. They fought for me and gave me grace I didn’t deserve. WeCare helped restore my trust in faith, in humanity, and in what family is supposed to feel like. They walked beside me as I learned to face the deep trauma I had been running from for years. Through books, counseling, and honest conversations, I began to develop a better understanding of the physical and sexual abuse I experienced as a child, and in time, I was able to forgive those who hurt me most. And just as importantly, I learned to forgive myself for the choices I made that hurt others. I began to take accountability for my own actions. Little by little, healing started to take root and for the first time in a long time, I felt proud of the decisions I was making and the person I was becoming. WeCare offered financial classes that helped me regain responsibility with my money. They supported me as I fought to get my license back and even though I didn’t like it, they pushed me to be more open and vulnerable, which helped me to continue to grow. They never once allowed me to believe I was too far gone to be restored, and they showed me the love of Jesus in a way I could truly feel. We shared a lot of laughter, and we shared a lot of tears. I had spent so many years shutting down my feelings and hardening my heart as a way to protect myself, but with each step I took in this program, another piece of my soul began to soften and heal. With accountability, patience and grace, I slowly started to tear down the walls I had spent years building, walls I believed were protecting me but were really keeping me trapped, and as those walls came down, I finally became open to discovering not who I thought I had to be, but who I was truly created to be. I never went to college. I bounced from job to job for years, never staying anywhere more than a year or two. But while I was in recovery, I started a new job as an auditor. Within my first year, I became a lead. By my second year, I was promoted to supervisor. And by my third year, I became the Inventory Control Manager. Last month marked five years working for Camping World. This opportunity wasn’t given to me, it took perseverance, hard work, and dedication, and when someone believes in you at a time you don’t believe in yourself, the dreams you buried, start to come back to life. Through WeCare, God showed me the life changing, redeeming love of Jesus. He not only freed me from addiction and restored my confidence and purpose, he changed my daughter’s story, her children’s story and every generation that comes after us. The healing that started with me won’t end with me. And that’s one of the greatest blessings of all. That is what WeCare does. They don’t just change lives, they change legacies, and tonight, because of your support, someone else will walk through the doors of WeCare feeling hopeless and walk out knowing that someone believes they are worth saving.