Tasha is a proud graduate of United Way-funded partner Meta House, a local nonprofit working to end the generational cycle of addiction by healing women and strengthening families.
Tasha’s addiction began after her boyfriend and the father of her children left their family unexpectedly. At 25, stay-at-home mom Tasha found herself alone with three young daughters to care for and nowhere to turn for help. Drugs became her coping mechanism - a way to deal with the abandonment she felt.
Tasha’s addiction consumed her. Living on the streets, Tasha lost custody of her daughters, who went to live with their grandparents. Scared of losing her independence, Tasha did not want to seek help. It was only after repeated hospital visits and involvement in the criminal justice system that she turned to Meta House.
Tasha enrolled in Meta House’s outpatient program but, still in denial, Tasha soon left and returned to using. It was then that she realized her addiction was real and she couldn’t overcome it alone. “I reluctantly went back and the staff literally welcomed me with open arms,” recalls Tasha. “From that point on I devoted everything I had to letting them teach me and help me.”
Her first few weeks in residential treatment weren’t easy, but for the first time, she began to understand herself on a deeper level. “I spent so much time being angry at myself and others. I needed to get to the root of it,” she said.
Tasha’s counselor Katie was crucial in her recovery journey. “Anything I needed, good or bad, I could turn to her for advice. That was one of the biggest things I needed at the time - she made me feel like it was going to be okay.”
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In just under a year, Tasha’s life had completely changed. She had completed her program with Meta House and spent time in a sober living facility that helped her transition back into the community. She regained custody of her daughters, found employment, and they moved together into an apartment.
Today, Tasha celebrates more than four years of sobriety. She has a job she loves working for a local trucking company, where she was promoted from her receptionist position to supervisor after only nine months. Tasha’s three happy, healthy daughters see her not only as their mom, but as a woman of strength and inspiration.
Tasha still participates in recovery support groups and has found strength in sharing her story with others.
“The beautiful thing about Meta House is they don’t give up on you,” says Tasha. “As many times as you stumble and fall, as many times as you want to try and change your life for the better, they are there for you. It’s incredible.”
Tasha and Meta House remind us all that to live better, we must Live United. Consider supporting this important work with a donation to United Way’s Community Fund.
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