by sarah | Jun 12, 2026 | Voices of Hope
The first time I smoked meth, it was with my mom. I was ten years old. I grew up in a small town in California’s Central Valley. My mom was in and out of my life, so my grandparents mostly raised me. My uncle lived with us. He had two daughters. We were all close in...
by sarah | Jun 12, 2026 | Voices of Hope
I thought I stumbled into this work. Looking back, nobody does. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. It’s a small town, and I grew up there with my mom and my brother. My grandma helped a lot. I went to school there, graduated there, and then headed to MU to get...
by sarah | May 24, 2026 | Voices of Hope
These kids deserve people who teach them accountability without giving up on them. I grew up in Camdenton. My dad built and sold homes, and my mom was an executive at a local bank. My brother and I had a great life, a wonderful life. Vacations, boating, family, four...
by sarah | May 19, 2026 | Voices of Hope
I blocked most of my childhood out. Then one day I heard a belt buckle. I was born in Tacoma, but I grew up everywhere. Germany first, then Arizona, then Missouri. My dad was in the Army, and when I was little, life was good. In Germany, the neighbors would bring you...
by sarah | May 12, 2026 | Voices of Hope
Two days after I turned three, I had a complete hysterectomy. I was born on Altus Air Force Base while my mom was in the military and my dad was in the Air Force. Three months later we moved back to Lebanon, where both sides of my family were from. This has always...
by sarah | May 12, 2026 | Voices of Hope
I think I’m still just trying to save teenage me. My mother didn’t want me. The loss of her first daughter was too much to bear and mental healthcare wasn’t what it is now. When she found out she was pregnant again and that it was another girl, she...
