"When I was younger, I sometimes walked past Hope with my mother. I had no idea that someday I would come here and find so much healing. I came to Hope due to family circumstances that kept me from finding stability and safety for me and my children. My plan wasn't to stay here long, but since I've been here I've grown and learned so much more about Christ. My children haven't had a safe home for a long time, and they are really happy here. They love just being stable and having a safe place to live. We have more time now to read the Bible together, have movie night, and play with other kids. My son wouldn't talk before we got here, but now he has come out of his shell and is talking and enjoying his friends at Hope. All of my children are coming alive in this environment. We still have a few bad days, but so many days we just enjoy the gift of being together. This place has really opened up my eyes to understand how to be a Christ-like parent. I'm growing so much as a person by learning to depend on God and not a man to love me for who I am. I'm learning to put God first and to love my children. I'm excited to go back to school – something I've dreamed of doing for years. I've been clean from marijuana since February. I used to think that I needed drugs to cope with my day – something to make me happy and escape from my pain. I'm learning to not try to escape, but to live in the moment with my Hope family. It's so great to know that I'm not alone."