I had never felt so worried in all my life; standing before the judge feeling that I had done all I could to get my daughter back. I had been sober for 9 months, gone to parenting classes and kept up with meetings. That day the judge noticed my achievements, but added, “Just one piece yet to do; you must obtain proper housing.”

In my heart I had known that this was coming. I was working hard to find a good place to be a home to my baby girl and myself. Seventeen days after she was detained, I put an application in at the Esplanade House, and had been calling them faithfully. I received their call just two days after my court hearing and my daughter and I moved in within a week. I was amazed at the immediate support I was given, it was as if hands were under me to lift me up. My new neighbors helped me move what few things I could call mine into my new apartment. I began to meet with my case manager, who assessed my needs in all areas of life. Before I knew it, I had plenty of food, better beds with nice linens, and a nice set of dishes. Everyone kept saying, “These are the gifts of sobriety.” Wow, this still brings tears to my eyes. The next week, with a schedule in my hand, I was introduced to my new drug and alcohol counselors, started a budgeting class, a parenting class, daily living skills class, and even stress reduction! With all the information I was learning, and the resourceful help of my case manager, I began to “plan my work, and work my plan” as they say at Esplanade House. Looking back, I cannot believe all the wonderful things that living at the Esplanade House has helped me accomplish. I have learned positive parenting skills, healthy eating, and how to do “self-care.”

I also went to credit counseling and I am on the road to clearing up the financial wreckage of my past. I petitioned the courts to regain the privilege to drive. With the help of my case manager, I worked out a payment plan to get my old student loans out of default so I could go back to college. I am now finishing my second semester towards a bachelor’s degree in nursing! At 34, I registered and actually voted for the first time in my life. Although these things seemed impossible to do, the most amazing thing that I have accomplished was bringing my older daughters home to live with us. This has been a huge adjustment, but the Esplanade House with its flexible hand has given us support that we could not have received elsewhere. I feel like the Esplanade House fully believed in my potential. All the staff worked closely to convince me that I could live up to that potential! In the beginning, it was so hard to grasp because I was so unsure of myself, every little thing that came up seemed mountainous. The Esplanade House has helped me shrink my obstacles down to size. They are teaching me how to navigate through those obstacles that I do not have power over, and how to change the things I do have power over!