Years ago, Deena was happily raising her kids with her husband on Long Island. “We had everything we wanted,” she shared. But life took a turn after a devastating car accident with a drunk driver left her with a dislocated jaw. Deena turned to drugs to cope with the chronic pain, leading to a downward spiral of substance use—including witnessing overdoses and experiencing her own. A five-year prison sentence was a turning point for Deena. “Incarceration pushed me to rethink the cycle I was in. I decided I was going to stay sober.” She returned home last September and entered a women’s shelter, moving into her own apartment just a few months later. "It’s exciting. After everything, I just wanted my own space," she says. Deena’s engagement with our Hope & Recovery Center has been a cornerstone of her journey. She loves connecting with other participants and is even teaching groups to crochet as a way to relax. “At ICL, I’ve learned about my thought patterns and how you don’t have to listen to the negative voices. It’s comforting to be with others who have experienced similar things—I feel so much less alone.” “I’m trying to get my family back together,” she shares. “The Hope & Recovery Center has helped me focus on the positive feedback I get from them. As long as I stay strong, they’ll be proud of me.” | |
