INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — WISH-TV is celebrating heroes all month long, and on Monday, we shared the story of a local woman recovering from addiction and the organization that she says helped save her life.
Volunteers of America’s Fresh Start Recovery Center gave vital help to Linda Daniels.
Daniels, who is expecting her third child, has been battling substance abuse since she was 15 years old. She says she had multiple failed attempts at recovery and ended up homeless multiple times because of her addiction before finding the Fresh Start program, which she says saved her life.
“If you struggle with recovery or sobriety, please reach out; you would be surprised how many people have not had the opportunity to reach out,” Daniels told News 8.
The Fresh Start Recovery Center, 927 N. Pennsylvania St. in Indianapolis, provides wraparound support for mothers like Daniels to not only work on their recovery, but to rebuild their lives.
“I’m blessed to be alive today. There were certain points in my life where I felt that I was never going to be okay, that I thought that I would never make it. That I was going to die on the streets from using and just not being able to take care of myself,” Daniels said.
The Fresh Start program offers addiction treatment, mental health treatment, connection with housing, and much more, according to Jennifer Martinez, vice president of behavioral health operations for Volunteers of America.
“It’s a voluntary program, so we really want people who feel like they’re ready to come in and go through this program; however, it is not uncommon for us to have people who will come through the program multiple times,” Martinez explained.
She says stories like Daniels’ is the reason many show up daily to help fight the fight.
“We really are focused on integrating into the communities we serve and being really good partners and doing a lot of outreach engagement with partners and others in the community that are serving the same population of folks,” Martinez said.
Daniels says the program changed her life. It allows her to work on herself, spend time with her kids and prepare for her third baby.
“In my dark times, I’ve had some dark thoughts. But, looking back at everything that had happened, with the program and even outside of the program, it happened for a reason, and I’m so glad that I took that initiative to take the first step,” Daniels said.
Daniels says she’s already looking forward to February, when she will celebrate one year of sobriety.
For more information on the Fresh Start Recovery program, click here.
