OUR STORIES

Scott C.

My life had become out of control and unmanageable due to my addiction to drugs and alcohol. I had hit my bottom. I was ready to surrender...It was time for a change. I needed a safe place to build a new beginning and a strong foundation.

The Hilljack House was highly recommended by my sponsor and in May of 2023, I was accepted into the program. It didn't take long to find out that the structure and accountability were what I needed. The help I received in my first week alone was overwhelming. The house was clean, warm, and inviting. Shortly after moving in I obtained employment and was already beginning to see the changes in my life.

Today, I am a valued employee at a job that I like, surrounded by people that I love. I have developed new healthy relationships, and have mended old ones; however, being a father to my children is the biggest gift of all.

Through working the steps of alcoholics anonymous I now have a spiritual relationship with God and see him working in my life and through others. I look forward to tomorrow and I am forever grateful for Hilljack House and the people in it.

Elaine

My name is Elaine and I'm a grateful alumnus of Hilljack House. I have been in my own apartment for a total of three days! It's a cozy place that I never would have gotten if not for utilizing the resources Hilljack House offered.

Hilljack House’s executive director has been a friend of mine for years. Throughout my struggles with sobriety, she was there. I found myself, after a year of sobriety, in an untenable living situation. I interviewed and was accepted despite my history. I guess they saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. We were able to maintain our boundaries which allowed me the opportunity to be a part of the Hilljack House family.

Today, I have two and half years of sobriety and Hilljack House has been a huge part of that success. Transitioning into my own apartment has been exciting. I am now standing on a solid foundation with a program of action to guide me. The 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous has taught me how to be a friend, daughter, and co-worker, understanding the importance of giving rather than receiving. The relationships I have made with the other women, and our accountability to each other, has enabled me to grow more than I ever thought possible.

While a resident, I decided I wanted to find a career that would allow me to help others. With a nudge from Dawn, I followed my dream and started applying at local treatment centers. After working as a receptionist for six months, I was offered the position of Housing Program Manager.

Overall, I can say that I've never been happier in my adult life. That is largely thanks to my affiliation with Hilljack House.

Dani

In December 2022, I was in an extremely dark place. It was then I knew I needed to do something and took it upon myself to ask Kamryn’s grandmother to keep him because I could not be the role model he deserved.

Fast forward: Hilljack House was the first SAFE place I'd lived in years. It provided me an opportunity to begin healing from the heartache and trauma I’d been experiencing due to my substance use disorder. Being surrounded by like-minded women working towards the same goal, made my journey that much easier. The community-like environment taught me how to be a friend and trust others.

The support I received from Dawn and the staff was exactly what I needed to begin the healing process. They were unjudgmental and loved me until I was able to love myself. In the beginning, I wasn’t always thrilled about attending 12-step meetings and Hilljack House events, but somewhere along the line, I could see the change that was taking place within me.

As I began to heal, my relationship with Kamryn improved as well. When I was ready to transition to independent living, my son chose to live with me. Our relationship continues to improve, and my son feels safe.

It’s 19 months later and I am learning to love myself and relationships with others continue to improve. Due to a program of action, I have made direct and living amends to those harmed. The amends to family members went better than I ever thought possible. Today, I am the supervisor at my job, in a healthy relationship, and excited about the future. There is still work to do, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope to see you at the Hilljack House picnic on August 24th where I will be sharing my experience, strength, and hope.

Ed D.

I lived at Hilljack House in 2021-2022 for seven months. My experience there was one of support and encouragement. Hilljack House helped me to establish a foundation of recovery in a safe and sober environment. This is something I wouldn’t have gotten living on my own. It allowed me time to repair my relationships and regain solid footing in my career. Living at Hilljack House allowed me to focus on getting better, which at the time was exactly what I needed.

I continue to support Hilljack House because I think it is a critical resource for people in recovery. I think it is important for people to know there is help out there, no matter what your circumstances are. I was an older than typical resident and my socioeconomic situation was a little different than many of the residents. This taught me that addiction doesn’t discriminate and effects people of all walks of life.