Creating Community and Hope in Recovery

Creating Community and Hope in Recovery

Eva comes to her Parent Trust Families in Recovery group once a week – commuting by ferry and bus.  She’s been a part of the group almost two years now. She does this for her daughter – and for herself.

She grew up in a world where drugs were the norm. As a child, it was impossible to break free. Then she got pregnant and she knew she wanted a different life for her baby. She went into treatment.

But she knew she needed more help.

“One of the hardest things about recovery is that you have to cut out all the people in your life,” says Eva. “Totally separate yourself from the people you were using with. So, you have no friends, no supports. Group changed that.”

That change is your support in action. Finding someone to talk to who really understands the challenges of recovery and the stresses of parenting can be difficult.

Our Families in Recovery groups create peer support networks – and they give recovering parents a way to help each other.

Eva says that early on, her greatest inspiration was one of our Parent Trust Parent Leaders – Chesiko.  “I remember how she encouraged me for those first few months – she made me believe I could parent. Talking to her, I started to have hope.”  Watch Chesiko’s story >>

When parents find hope for themselves, they pass it on to their kids. It’s how intergenerational change happens.

Today, Eva is one of our Parent Leaders ­–mentoring new parents, demonstrating success in action. Eva now has a strong relationship with her own mom, and she is encouraging her younger brother in his recovery. Her journey has changed her whole family.

The life she wants for her daughter keeps Eva moving forward. “I think a lot about how I’ll tell my daughter her own story. Sometimes it keeps me up at night,” says Eva. “I know the questions are coming. I want her to know it all. I want her to know me as someone who made it. Someone who turned her life around. Someone who healed.”

Eva’s next big step is finishing her education. She knows she can do it. “I got my confidence back in group,” says Eva.

Learn More about our Families in Recovery Program >>


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