“Coming to BLOOMHERE saved my life. Before, I didn’t have a therapist, doctor, dentist, stable housing, or even a bank account. Thanks to the program I have all of that now, which helps me feel like I belong because the world doesn’t treat you like a member of society without those things. Being able to connect with people who have similar problems and talking to other women has helped me a lot. I am not a people person, but I have been able to meet people and build relationships with people I can say that I love. It doesn’t even have to be a holiday to celebrate here, every day in this new, stable environment with a second chance is a reason to celebrate."

"The love in the program and of the community here has helped me tremendously. The days we spend together feel like family. We go to lunch, the bookstore, and celebrate holidays and birthdays. It feels good to be loved, cared about, and have people around you who are important to you and you to them. I’m not used to people asking how I am doing, so it’s really meaningful that everyone here asks how I’m doing."

"COVID has been hard for everyone. We do all our recovery meetings virtually, which can be awkward but sometimes it makes it easier to connect because I don’t have to face the anxiety of physically walking into a room full of strangers. I can meet them virtually and get comfortable with them first. It can be hard sometimes to have tough conversations online, but I feel safe at BLOOMHERE. Before coming here, I used COVID as an excuse to avoid important things like visiting family members when the real reason was because of my addiction. I wore a mask, but my real priority was self-medicating, which outweighed any worries about COVID. The pandemic also pushed back our body oil production, part of our justice enterprise. I have faith that I’ll be able to find a job and continue my healing journey."

"If I was able to give any advice to other women struggling, I would tell them not to be afraid of change, because you’re wasting time that you can’t get back. You won’t get out until you are ready to heal. Committing to that journey will be the biggest and most important decision in your life. It affects everything. The help and resources are out there, but you have to decide to pursue them. Sometimes it takes baby steps, but keep moving forward. There are a lot more people who want to help you than you think. Not everything will be perfect, but that’s okay."

"If I woke up tomorrow and all my dreams came true, I don’t know what that would look like because if I could do anything, I would do everything. But I need stable housing and a full-time job. I want to go back to school. I want to be a mother to my children and stay sober forever. I want to be happy again. I want to see the world and just figure out how to do life again. Graduating from BLOOMHERE and starting a new life will be such an accomplishment. Transitioning into the real world will be like being reborn. It’s a brand new life. It’s scary, but I’m excited.”"