Karina's LifeChange Story

Karina was often left alone while her mother worked multiple jobs to support the family. By age 12 she found herself at a house party where she was introduced to marijuana and methamphetamine. Karina became a mother at age 16. Determined to build a better life for her children, Karina decided to attend a local college. While in college Karina fell back into old habits and eventually dropped out. “Each time I relapsed, things got worse and worse.”

Things continued to spiral when Karina started to visit casinos. “The rush of gambling was more intense than any drug I could take,” says Karina. Her gambling escalated to the point where she received death threats due to unpaid debts. Even her children began to fear for their lives. “You know things are bad when your children call their grandparents and ask to go live with them.”

After losing her children, Karina fled to Los Angeles. During her time in Los Angeles, she reconnected with an old friend through social media who was a resident of Union Gospel Mission’s LifeChange community. Karina explains, “When I saw how my friend turned their life around, it gave me hope to know that change is possible.”

“When I arrived at LifeChange I felt excited but scared at the same time, but when I walked through the doors all my fears went away. I was shown love like never before. It was genuine love, you know? It’s like they were just waiting to receive me with open arms,” Karina says with a sigh of relief.

Over the past nine months, Karina has spent time building healthy relationships in the program as well as with her church family. She feels confident that these relationships will give her the support she needs to continue her sober living. She has a new-found relationship with God. “I’ve learned the abundant grace Jesus has for me,” Karina explains.

Karina’s children were able to join her 20 days after her arrival and have experienced change as well. “I’m so thankful for the counseling and mentoring my children have here. They used to struggle in school, but this semester they passed all their classes!” Karina says with a big proud smile. “God has blessed my relationship with my children by making us stronger than ever before.”

Karina is currently taking courses to become a recovery support specialist. She wants to re-enroll in college to finish her degree in substance abuse counseling. She says, “I want to use my life experiences to show others that change is possible… because I am living proof.”

If you know of a woman battling addiction, homelessness, or domestic abuse and she is interested in a life change, contact LifeChange for Women and Their Children at 503-802-2271