Chriselda struggled with substance abuse for many years. She was homeless in Tri-Cities, Washington. It wasn’t the best place for her. She was surrounded by influences and situations that made it difficult for her to get sober.
Her family lived in Spokane. So she didn’t have a lot of contact with them. Sometimes, she would speak with her family on the phone. They tried to convince her to move to Spokane so she could be around her family and children. Chriselda’s family thought this would help motivate her to begin a sober journey. They said, “Try something new for yourself, just try.”
First step to recovery
Chriselda was at a point in her life where she didn’t have much to lose by leaving the Tri-Cities. So she left and moved to Spokane. She missed her two daughters and longed to rebuild her relationship with them. In Spokane, she checked herself into a facility for women recovering from addictions. She stayed in their program at the facility and did her best to follow all the steps they gave her to recover.
After some time, she completed the program. She found faith-based meetings that she could attend to help her stay on track with her sobriety. This was a huge help for Chriselda. She began to feel a lot of personal growth at these meetings. This helped her to build stronger relationships with her family.
Since Chriselda completed the in-patient program, she needed to find a stable place to live. She didn’t know where to go and was very scared. She wanted stable housing, so she didn’t have to return to living on the street.
Searching for stability
The people that helped her at the in-patient facility told her about a clean and sober living home. So she contacted the home. Then she got approved to stay there while she searched for more permanent housing. This was a good transition for Chriselda. She felt relieved to find a temporary place that would help keep her from returning to her addiction.
The staff at the clean and sober living home suggested she look into Goodwill services. They told her that Goodwill has a program that could help her find more permanent housing. So Chriselda visited Goodwill’s Workforce and Family Services to see what help she could get.
The team at Goodwill listened to her needs and helped guide her through the right steps to enroll in the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program. The HEN team helped Chriselda apply for help through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). After she applied, she was put on the waiting list for the HEN program.
Stability in sight
Chriselda didn’t stop looking for housing while waiting for the program’s approval. She said, “The more I started looking, the more things slowly started happening.” When Chriselda was approved for the program, she felt so much joy. She prayed for this type of blessing day and night and felt her prayers had been answered.
But Chriselda felt concerned about the necessary items she would need for her new apartment. She worried about how she was going to pay for things like dishes and linens. Her Goodwill case manager eased her worries. They told her the program helps people with essential items, too. So Chriselda’s place soon had everything she needed to make a stable home for herself.
Chriselda’s achievements continued after she got into stable housing. She wanted a job where she could make a difference. So she got a job at a learning center for child development. She loves her job and said, “It feels good to be able to help kids that are in need of love.”
Discovering peace
Chriselda has been sober for two years. She said one of the biggest things that she has achieved since getting sober is her mindset. “I was broken for a long time. My life was just a wreck and I had nothing going for me for years.” Now she has learned to be more generous and compassionate. “Staying sober is a good way to live life. Definitely.”
Chriselda is so grateful and feels so blessed for the support she got from Goodwill. She said, “If it wasn’t for Goodwill, I don’t think I’d have a place [to live].” Before her recovery, it was easy and common for Chriselda to lose hope. Now she has peace and hope. “[Goodwill] gave me so much peace in my mind … I have so much peace in my heart, so much peace.”
