Walk a Mile has helped Jenn turn her life around
An excerpt from Jenn's life in 2015:
I’ve struggled with my self-esteem and depression since I was a young girl. But my real struggles started in high school.
I started hanging out with the wrong “friends,” who introduced me to smoking, drinking, and drugs — Oxycontin, Xanax, and finally cocaine. My moods got out of control. It’s like my whole world turned black. I could never see anything good, everything was horrible. Or when I was manic, I would go out and spend all my money on clothes or more drugs. It all just escalated into a big, messy buffet of bad.
Then I got pregnant at 19 — followed by an unfortunate marriage. After we divorced, two years and another child later, I started using pills like Xanax heavier than ever before. And chasing them with vodka, so I’d pass out and not have to cope with anything. Basically, I was surviving the best I could and still take care of my kids.
But after a while, I couldn’t even do that. I lost custody of my kids.
My depression got worse and my drug use went off the wall. And I found meth, which I mixed with Adderall and heroin. I lost whatever friends I had. I lost my family. Then I lost my job. I just didn’t care about anything anymore. But I got really good at blocking things out.
Finally, in March 2012, I went to jail for four months for stealing a car. I’ve been drug-free ever since. But I continued to struggle to cope with life — and with myself. I gave birth to another child and ended up coming to Open Arms several times for help.
This time, though, I’m pulling it together. The staff never gave up on me. They’ve loved me unconditionally and won’t let me push them away. And I finally realize, if they can love me, maybe I can love myself. They taught me my priorities are God and my kids. And for the first time, I feel happy.
Thanks to Open Arms, I’m a better person, a better Christian, and a better mom.
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And now, a decade later, Jenn has her kids back and is on staff at the Kokomo Rescue Mission as our Assistance Coordinator. Check out the video below for her story. God is good, and your donations make a difference!