TFG Cared for My Kids When My World Was Falling Apart

A year and a half ago, Nevaeh called Together for Good. She shared with her case manager that she was struggling with addiction and wanted to go to treatment, but she needed a safe place for her 9-month-old daughter and two-year-old son to stay.

The case manager paired Nevaeh’s children with two amazing host families and helped connect Nevaeh to an addiction recovery program.

However, addiction is difficult to break, and often there is a very small window when a person is able to make the brave choice to go to treatment. After a few follow-up conversations with Nevaeh, it became clear to her case manager that the window for Nevaeh to begin recovery had likely closed.

Instead of an emergency hosting while Nevaeh began treatment, her host families began providing consistent respite hostings. Month by month, they built a relationship with Nevaeh and her children. These volunteers steadfastly prayed for Nevaeh and offered her encouragement as she parented.

However, it seemed to everyone involved that Nevaeh’s addiction was getting worse.

Reflecting on over a year of these hostings, Nevaeh’s case manager said, “There were many times that I questioned whether or not we were doing the right thing by continuing to host.” Were these hostings just enabling the hold addiction had on Nevaeh’s life?

But then, a breakthrough happened. Four months ago, Nevaeh called her case manager and said that she was going to treatment, and this time she did not waver.

Nevaeh’s host families were overjoyed! Their prayers were being answered. “We were all so thankful.” Nevaeh had been accepted to an amazing program that allows mothers battling addiction to have their children with them during recovery. Her case manager shared, “We began supporting [Nevaeh] through her treatment by providing extra hostings for the kids during this process.”

One month ago, Nevaeh graduated from recovery!

Her case manager said, “[Nevaeh] is doing amazingly well! She is working as a peer counselor and doing a great job parenting.” Her host families continue to invest regularly in Nevaeh’s life and the lives of her children. Their steadfast relationships remind Nevaeh that she is not alone.

Nevaeh credits overcoming her addiction to the consistency of her children’s host families. “Together for Good gave me wonderful families to care for my kids when my world was falling apart. I was addicted…and didn’t have safe people to help me. I went into treatment five months ago and have been drug-free since then. I am so thankful for Together for Good!"

For over a year, these volunteers showed up for Nevaeh without judgment or expectations. They simply displayed love and support for her and her children – and that changed Nevaeh’s life.

When we step into the crisis a participant family is facing, we don’t know the outcome. But we do know that relationships transform lives. Nevaeh is just one of hundreds of lives who have been transformed by volunteers and staff from Together for Good this past year.

Right now, you have the opportunity to transform more families and futures – like Naveah’s – by providing life-changing relationships through your year-end gift. Will you bring hope and healing to even more families next year?

Give your year-end gift here.