We often share all the successes of our survivor sisters at Grace House and all of the work we do to implement healing and independence within the Grace House Residential Program. What we don’t always talk about is what a difficult journey survivors are on and what it took for each of them to get to our program. Last month, we celebrated another successful graduation from Grace House, and our Graduate, Juliana, has been so brave as to share her testimony with you, our supporters.
“My parents tried to give me and my sister everything we needed,” Juliana shares with us about her early life. “They strived for a life they knew we needed.” But as she became a teenager and was faced with early life lessons, including an abusive relationship at age 14, she started experimenting with drugs to cope with her loss of confidence. “I had been beaten down mentally for so long I didn’t even know who I was.”
At 21 years old, she was blessed with a child and became clean and sober during her pregnancy, but due to the nature of the cesarean delivery, she was prescribed pain pills, which “sparked” her addiction all over again. Soon after, she married a man whom she hoped would turn her life around, only to find that he was mentally abusive. He then isolated her from her family.
Her struggles continued when she left her husband, and she fell deeper into addiction, which led to sexual exploitation. She sought help from several recovery centers but would often leave and go back to her old lifestyle, until she found a hotline to a rescue team from a regional recovery emergency agency. Within an hour, she was brought to a safe house, where she ultimately was referred to Alabaster Jar Project.
“Years of trauma can change a person,” Juliana shares. “I didn’t know who I was, what I liked, or what I was supposed to do as far as living a ‘normal’ life. [Alabaster Jar Project] came in with compassion, love, and gave me motivation that I could do this. I have this quote that I would see everywhere during my time there: ‘Bloom where you are planted.’ This spoke volumes to me. No matter your circumstances, the change starts within you.”
Once she began working her healing at our Grace House Residential Program, her life started to improve in many areas. “I took a various amount of classes and extensive drug and alcohol outpatient classes. I took the time to focus on my mental health as well. I had the chance to receive restoration with my teeth which gave me the confidence to smile again. I found new hobbies that I never knew I would ever be interested in. I received a toolbox of coping skills to help master situations and know how to handle things properly. I built relationships with people and learned to trust again.”
Juliana is now a full time mom with the support of her family, and has accepted a job which she will start within a few months. She has also set her sights on helping others. “My hopes for the future are for me to finish my degree so I can become a program director. I want to be involved with recovering addicts, women coming out of the life, as well as women coming out of toxic relationships. My heart is in a place to give back what I’ve been given.”
Through Grace House, we provide all the necessary tools for survivors to gain healing and independence in their lives, but it’s really up to the survivor herself to work her program, and Juliana is a great example of what hard work brings to one’s journey. “Nobody can do this work for you. You have to be fully committed to look at the inside of you and work through all of your trauma in order for this to work.”
Our whole team sends up prayers of gratitude for Juliana’s successful recovery. We continue to pray for her journey as she walks in her independence. You go, girl!
Alabaster Jar Project 