by sarah | Jul 18, 2026 | Voices of Hope
A man thanked me for treating him like a human. I was born and raised in Lebanon. I grew up one of six kids, the only girl. I had five brothers and by everyone’s account, including my own, I was the worst of all of them. I thought I knew better than everyone...
by sarah | Jul 11, 2026 | Voices of Hope
Never pray about something unless you want the real answer. I was born in Neosho, Missouri, in the southwest corner of the state. My dad was a purchasing agent for the local electric cooperative. My mom was a hairdresser. Both of them worked. They didn’t think they’d...
by sarah | Jul 4, 2026 | Voices of Hope
My birth certificate says October 7th. I don’t know if that’s true. I was born in Springfield, at St. John’s. Well, it used to be called St. John’s. The man listed on my birth certificate is the one who gave me his name. I was always told he wasn’t my biological...
by sarah | Jun 27, 2026 | Voices of Hope
You can talk about trust, but it doesn’t mean anything until you earn it. I was born and raised in Laclede County. The Winfreys settled here sometime in the 1860s, and that same original homestead is still in the family. We always just called it the old place. Some...
by sarah | Jun 20, 2026 | Voices of Hope
When that little boy told me he hated God, I realized he had seen more than I knew. I’m from Phillipsburg, out in Laclede County. Youngest of six. My dad made my mom wait until the playoff game was over before he took her to the hospital. Growing up he had a nickname...
by sarah | Jun 13, 2026 | Voices of Hope
After the fire, a woman set up a fundraiser. We trusted her because of who she said she was. My parents were both addicts. My father drank himself to death. My mother still struggles. I was raised by my grandparents, and I had my first child when I was 15. I met my...
