I was a resident at The Scarborough House for Women from June 3, 2016 until early September of 2017.

I use the word resident because at that time I had no idea the house manager would become my second mother.

Scarborough House has a curriculum of goals every independent woman should attain within the first 30, 60, and 90 days that change each woman's belief, perception, and attitude regarding how they feel about themselves. I followed the outline and learned to advocate for myself and ask questions.

Today I am 8.5 years sober, own my first home, work with others battling addiction, mental health issues and homelessness; I hold my LCDC-III license from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board. I am attending the University of Akron's Master's Program for Social Work.

None of this would have been possible without the foundation, support, unconditional love, education, and guidance I received from Joanne M. Brown and the Scarborough House.

This is an important cause to my heart because it saved my life and brought me back to my family, values, and myself. The Scarborough House gave me a life beyond my wildest dreams. Please help keep the doors open for future decades!