Shannon
Garrison, NY
2020
Shannon grew up on Long Island, the youngest of three children. Her father was an alcoholic, making home life unstable and chaotic.
“He was abusive and aggressive and just screamed and yelled,” Shannon recalls. “He was someone me and my siblings were very afraid of.”
When Shannon was only seven years old, her father abused her and then her parents got divorced. Her dad was arrested and removed from their home. While necessary, it was devastating to Shannon. She even felt that she was the reason her family was torn apart.
Shannon’s mom began drinking heavily, and it didn’t take long before Shannon started to drink and do drugs to escape. She started seeking validation from men, which only led to more destructive feelings and choices.
One older man Shannon dated started grooming her for a life on the streets.
Isolated from friends and family, Shannon began to hate herself.
She knew she needed help, and in a moment of clarity, she reached out to her family for help.
First she went to the emergency room to get physically well. In the hospital, Shannon’s parents called Hoving Home and Shannon did intake from the hospital bed!
“There was calmness and security for me, especially coming out of the lifestyle I lived,” Shannon adds.
Hearing the Gospel, Shannon surrendered her life to Jesus. Little by little, she learned to listen to the Holy Spirit and began to know the feeling of unconditional love.
After graduating from the program, Shannon began an internship through our Emerging Leaders program. From there, she was offered the Business Manager position at our California home!
“I’m thankful to the Hoving Home, because they introduced me to Jesus, and that really saved my life,” Shannon shares.
She finds hope in the resurrected Christ because her life, too, has been completely restored.
“I wasn’t meant to be a drug addict and prostitute,” Shannon affirms. “God has so much more for me.”
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