Stories of Hope & Courage
These are stories of Homeward House heroes: families who have broken through the overwhelming stigma surrounding parents experiencing substance use disorders. For BIPOC families, the stigma is intensified by racism and systemic inequities.
By sharing their experiences, these heroes are changing the narrative about families experiencing poverty and drug use disorders and providing inspiration and hope to others.
It wasn’t easy, but I did it; I feel like a million bucks: Ricky
One of the program’s first success stories is that of Ricky, a single father in jail when his daughter was born. His story highlights the lengths fathers must sometimes go to overcome the barriers in existing systems. It is featured in the following video produced by United Way of Snohomish County’s CORE Collaborative initiative, a key supporter of Homeward House. One minute I'm on a piece of cardboard, wondering how it's all going to turn out. Now, it's like a dream come true ... the hard...
I just knew that I was ready to turn my life around: Angela
My name is Angela, and I would like to share my story and, more specifically, how much Homeward House has done for my family and me. I am 33 years old, and I have three wonderful children. I had my oldest son when I was 20 years old. I was young and ambitious and determined to make something of myself. I had finished my Associate of Arts degree shortly after he was born, and then after taking a year off, I started attending the University of Washington when he was a little over a year old. At...
Discovering many sources of support: Gwen
Several years ago, I faced a mental breakdown while dating someone who took complete advantage of my vulnerable situation and state of mind. When I broke up with him, he called CPS out of revenge to get my 5-year-old son away from me. I ended up in the hospital, a psych ward, to be exact. I had lost my housing, my pets went to shelters, and most heart-wrenching, I almost lost my son to the foster care system.Today, I am grateful for the entire experience. The hard times serve as a reminder to...