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...
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...
