I was chronically homeless for about twelve years. A destructive 21-year relationship with my children’s father made me question my existence often. I used drugs and got arrested for selling them. My health suffered to such an extent that I temporarily lost the use of my legs because of drug use and ended up in a coma.

I went to a 28-day rehab program for children and mothers at Crossroads in Windham and then got into Freedom Place, a recovery home in Portland, and was ready to make a change.

I’ve been in recovery now for three years.

At Freedom Place I took the Career Success for Single Moms class with NVME. After taking the class, I increased my work hours from 12 hours per week to full time. Now, I don’t receive any assistance except for a housing voucher. The class gave me the confidence to take on full-time work and figure out how to manage without the assistance of SNAP benefits or MaineCare.

Going to meetings helped me maintain sobriety. I took the Recovery Coaching Academy course and additional peer support classes and plan to take peer support training. I’m currently working at Milestone Recovery, an addiction treatment center, as an attendant at the men’s wet emergency shelter.

I was able to get my driver’s license and a prescription for glasses and these seemingly small changes made a big difference in my day-to-day life. I also wanted to learn ways to save and manage money and build some credit. Part of the Career Success class was signing up for a Rainy Day (matched) Savings Account, which I used towards the security deposit and first month’s rent for my apartment.

The class was also super helpful because it took away a lot of anxiety around financial insecurity and showed me how to build back to where I wanted to be.

I’ve continued to save and have improved my money management skills. I’m better at budgeting and I’m getting my bills paid on time. When it comes to making big changes in my life, I don’t mind taking baby steps. I feel like I’m on my way with the help and guidance from the classes I took and the Rainy Day Savings Account, all of which helped me to make progress towards my goals.

My ultimate goal is to get my credit built up enough to take out a car loan and contribute a large down payment towards it. Once that’s paid off and my credit is even better, I will look into purchasing a small house for myself.

I would recommend NVME classes to anyone trying to rebuild their life. I hope that my story gives others hope that they can make these kinds of changes, too.

Editor’s note: Career Success for Single Moms is funded by a grant from United Way of Southern Maine’s Women United, a giving circle focused on helping single mothers achieve financial security for their families.