"I CAN STAND AND TELL SOMEONE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY FEEL"

Mary’s life fell into a dangerous routine, roaming dark streets at night looking for drugs. On a night she’ll never forget, Mary got more than she was looking for. Mary saw her life flash before her eyes when two guys tried to rob her. In that moment, all she could think about was leaving her youngest child alone. 

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Mary knew she had to get her life together. 

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“I didn’t have a drug problem,” said Mary,
“I had a life problem and used drugs to mask
the trauma.”

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Mary completed a six-month treatment program. But, like many, she struggled with relapses. After several relapses “I finally came to my senses,” Mary said. 

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“I would think back to how I was living, walking the streets all night,” she added, “and I didn’t want to do that again.”

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During recovery, Mary discovered she was getting high to forget her past. A time came when the drugs couldn’t hide the pain and she attempted suicide. Mary learned forgiveness, first for herself and then for those who stole her childhood.

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“Jesus had a cross to bear when He came here, and I feel like this is my cross,” she said. 

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Today, Mary is working to become a social worker, an education that introduced her to CitySquare AmeriCorps, and grew into a part-time CitySquare Food team role, which she performs while completing her degree. 

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Spend any time with Mary, and her sense of hope makes itself known. She firmly claims a bright future ahead of her. “It’s my heart’s desire to help people,” she adds. “God says he’ll give us the things of our heart’s desire.”