“I believe God sent me here for a reason." Brian worked for the same company for nearly 25 years – a place where social drinking was part of the culture. Yet over time it became a daily habit, Brian says, “without me really realizing the damage I was doing.” It started with what others might consider little things. “But when you can’t punch the time clock because your hand shakes so badly, it’s embarrassing,” Brian [...]

“I grew up questioning why I didn’t have a better life.” Born into a chaotic environment where both parents battled addiction, Autumn was deprived of attention, guidance and essentials, and she endured bouts of physical abuse. “I went to school with bruises,” she recalls. “I was bullied a lot for not having nice clothes or the right school supplies.” Yet she loved her mother dearly. At 10 years old, when the woman died in her [...]

Throughout his adult years, Ruben struggled with negativity and self-degradation, the source of which he never understood. “I was never thinking positive,” he says. “By always doubting myself, I didn’t allow myself to look forward. I thought I was gonna always be at the bottom.” His self-defeating attitude led to broken relationships, substance abuse, struggles with employment and even bouts of homelessness. Finally, one day, as he saw his gaunt reflection in a cracked and [...]

“I owned a home at one point. I had my family. I had a good job.”  But all that changed when Diane met a man who said he loved her but began to control all aspects of her life – where she went, what she wore, who she spoke with, how she spent every penny. “I did have jobs, off and on, but every time I got paid, he would take the money.” Over time, [...]