Joanne J

Hi, I'm Joanne. At the Mission, I'm learning how to heal from wounds and build my self-esteem. Every morning and every night, I get on my knees and ask God to guide me, and it's working. Because I need a lot of help.

My childhood had a lot of beauty. But tragedy touched me too. Two of my best friends passed away. And there was abuse. It's not surprising that I had my first line of cocaine at 12, and smoked some pot in high school. After I became a flight attendant, it didn't matter where I went--I was always drinking and partying. Even then, it was a lonely job. It always seemed like I was masking some kind of pain.

After the birth of my second child, I fell into depression. I became addicted to pain pills after a shoulder injury, and got caught with fake prescriptions. Inside jail, I suffered through lots of guilt, shame, and depression. I looked at my life and wanted better things for myself.

Today, I’m getting better. I’m working hard on myself, and I love helping other people at the Mission. All three of my kids are back in my life, and I’m working to provide for them as best I can. Thank you for having the heart to help people like me!