Success Stories
I’ve changed the quality of my life My life has been so unmanageable for the past 35 yrs. I thought I was supposed to live that way for the rest of my life. I used to look at the way other people lived and the quality of their life was something I always wanted. I always knew that God has a purpose for us all and sometimes I would say “I wish that God would reveal to me what it is that he wants me to do so I could do it and check out of here“. Until I surrendered, no one other than family cared about me or my future. Then I became a resident of the Aurora House. Today I no longer want to check out because today the quality of my life is better than it has ever been in 48 yrs. Now the purpose of my life has been revealed to me and this I feel with every being of my heart thanks to the structure and stability I’ve gotten from the Aurora House. At the present time I am working on my G.E.D. Then I want to further my education by pursuing a major in something that will afford me the opportunity to become a Drug Counselor. Sometime in the future I want to buy a home, and later I wish to open up a center so I can help young women whose lives are just like mine because they don’t have a clue as to where or how their lives are going to end up.
The love and encouragement I received from family and the staff at the Aurora House is what I have to give to someone else, so I can continue growing and receiving the blessings that my higher power blesses me with. I’m now in the step-up program and only through growth and trust have I earned that privilege. Now I can work on my recovery first and foremost. I go to the library at least 4 times a week to use their computer which I never knew how to use before entering the house. Now I use it to write and that is something the staff has encouraged and pushed me to do. A hidden talent has been revealed as something I never thought I could do, but I truly enjoy it. I love the quality of my life today. With the love and inspiration I receive from family and the staff I can now say that I love me, and there’s nothing I can’t do!
-Lynnett
Heroin use led Lucas County Children’s Services into Jennifer’s life. Recognizing that she could not stay clean with just LCCS involvement, she was offered the opportunity to participate in drug court, to which she agreed. With no income and no real knowledge of how to take care of herself and unable to care for her three children, Jennifer was admitted to the Aurora House in January 2009 with her year old daughter Maddy. She admits that she wasn’t ready to stop
using at that time. Her stay lasted only 5 days. She self-discharged from the Aurora House, relapsed, and lost custody of her daughter.
Admitted for the second time on April 27, 2009, Jennifer made a decision to use the time at Aurora to develop the skills necessary for successful transition to the community, achieve longtime sobriety, and reunify with her daughter. After a period of 6 months, Jennifer had made significant progress toward the completion of programming at Aurora, including parenting, life skills, and creative writing. Her hard work in meeting compliance with the Aurora House and family drug court led to the achievement of one of her primary goals in October 2009: reunification with her daughter. In addition, she was granted weekend visitation with her two other children, ages 11 and 9, who remain in the custody of their father. Through The Source, Jennifer obtained funding to pay for STNA classes. Thrilled at the opportunity for a new direction and source of income, Jennifer completed STNA training in November, 2009 and passed her state test in January, 2010.
Jennifer was approved to move to Step Up housing, a bridge between congregate living and permanent housing in the community. She and Maddy moved to their apartment on December 1, 2009. She anticipates that she will commence from family drug court in just a few months and is grateful that, this year, Maddy can celebrate her third birthday at home with her mother!
Aurora means new beginnings. Jennifer’s story exemplifies the impact of Aurora’s program on the lives of the women being served.
