One of the first graduates of VOA’s recovery program celebrates nearly five years of continued sobriety

In August 2020, a mother named Allison walked through the doors of a new recovery program in Clay County.  

After spending most of her life battling substance use disorder, she suffered from severe depression and was desperate to change the course of her life and create a different, hopeful future for her 4-year-old daughter, Lilah.  

“I was miserable. I didn’t care if I lived or died,” Allison said. “I had to find my will to live. And that’s what I got at Freedom House.” 

Freedom House, a nationally recognized recovery program offered by Volunteers of America Mid-States (VOA), gave Allison the support she needed to understand the root cause of her addiction and learn how to be a sober, stable parent. VOA’s licensed clinical therapists used therapy to help her start her journey toward healing and recovery.  

“I’m bipolar and I have generalized anxiety disorder, and they said I had PTSD and some eating disorder issues. So, there’s all kinds of other issues besides addiction that I’m dealing with,” she said. “Therapy today plays an important role in my continued recovery.” 

Allison completed the program in December 2020, becoming one of the first graduates of VOA’s Freedom House in Clay County. But her recovery journey didn’t end after graduation. She moved to Louisville and continued to strengthen her sobriety at VOA’s Transitional Living program, which provides a stable home for graduates of Freedom House.  

“It was empowering to take control and take responsibility and find my own way,” she said. “I was able to gain my independence and provide for my daughter. It was very fulfilling.” 

This August, Allison will celebrate five years of sobriety.  Today, she continues living in Louisville and works for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and is studying to become a certified pharmacy technician. She is committed to her sobriety and watching Lilah, now 8, continue to grow and thrive.  

“I like being reminded that Freedom House is still there and doing this work because it saved my life,” she said. “I have a good job, I’m in school, and I have my daughter and my own apartment and car. Life is really, really good.” 

Allison and Lilah are a success story, and they are one of more than 600 families whose lives have been changed by Freedom House over the past five years.  

This month, VOA is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the program. Allison and Lilah are inspiring examples of impact and soon VOA will have the capacity to support even more families just like them.  

In February, VOA began construction on an expansion of Freedom House that will enable the program to serve an additional 300 women and their children annually. Construction is expected to be completed later this year.  

VOA kicked off its Freedom House Capital Campaign in 2023 to raise essential funds to aid expansion efforts. To learn more about the campaign, and how you can support the program in Clay County, contact Deann Allen at deann.ccfc@gmail.com.