Meet Amanda!

Hello My name is Amanda! When I came to the Community House I was broken, lost, homeless and unable to look myself in the mirror. The life events that led me up to this point were ones of addiction, abuse and the inability to ask for help. Three years ago, I was in a parking lot of the Emergency Room about to give birth to a baby boy. Unfortunately, my addiction had a strong hold that I needed to feed my addiction in that parking lot before giving birth. Therefore, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, who was born addicted to crack cocaine. Having a child taken from your arms is a pain that words can't even begin to describe, this however, wasn't enough for me to still get clean. Through many attempts, and fails, of treatment centers, I still was unable to find the strength to say enough is enough, to find my self worth. Now another pregnancy, another failed attempt at a Residential Treatment Center and another child I gave up to my addiction. My kiddos were in a foster home with no near sight of a return home. The adoption process was beginning. Their dad got sentenced to 20 months prison for Drug raids. Everything in my life was gone. I knew I had to do something, and make a decision quick, before my addiction made the decision for me. I needed a fresh start, new beginnings. This required changing people, places and things. I picked up the phone and made a phone call. Within 24 hours I was moving to a new town, where I knew not a soul. Longview was my new beginning. I found myself at the front doors of the Community House. Within a day I was already being asked to pack my things and leave. My inability to surrender to the program and stop doing things my way had once again given me the boot. CPS has informed me that they filed Termination of my Parental Rights. I would be going to trial in the upcoming months. In that moment I knew that I had to fully surrender to whatever it is was asked of me. I begged for another chance. And I was given my one and very last chance from the Community House. Since that day, I've put my head down, have closed my mouth and opened my ears. Thru the support of my counselors here at Community House, my Counselors thru my IOP and a power greater than myself, I have found a new way of living. Nine months later I have successfully graduated my Outpatient Treatment, and let me tell you, that is something I never knew was a possibility for me. Today I have been 17 months clean and sober from all substances. To think that at one point I couldn't even get 24 hours while giving birth...this is truly a great blessing. I have started school at LCC, I'm in the Welding Program and I'm loving it. I’ve had to work hard every day in all areas of my life. Of course there are still bad days that arise, but today I choose not to use. Today I'm able to look at my kiddos and know that I haven't failed them. As I'm writing this today, my overnights with the kiddos are scheduled to start taking place next week. Adoption is no longer a dark cloud that lingers over my life. When I hear my kiddos laughter, I'm able to embrace that. I now am able to look myself in the mirror. I am a worthy, beautiful woman and mother. Today I have a life worth living, and I have the Community House and all the counselors here to thank for that. They believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. They fought for me when I couldn't find the strength to fight for myself. I am blessed and honored to say that my name is Amanda, I'm no longer an addict and this is my success story.

-Amanda