Renee feels “blessed” to have reconnected with her daughters and her grandchildren.

From the outside, Renee’s life once looked normal-she grew up in Santa Maria in a middle-class home with both parents and a brother. But behind closed doors, her childhood was marked by instability, addiction, and pain. Both of her parents struggled with drugs, especially her father, and the environment left her feeling isolated and unsafe.

“My childhood wasn’t normal,” Renee said. “I stayed in my room often. When I came out of the room, I would see things that I shouldn’t see as a little girl. My dad had a full-blown drug problem. He’s overdosed before and that was really stressful and traumatic for me.”

Her parents’ relationship was unstable, resulting in divorce, remarriage, and separation again. As she got older, the pain only deepened. Her brother, who also struggled with addiction, survived a suicide attempt but later died from an overdose. The loss left Renee overwhelmed with grief and trauma.

By 16, she had turned to alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamines to cope. Just weeks after turning 18, she received her first DUI, followed by many more. “I’ve always struggled with alcohol,” Renee said. “When I drink, I drink a lot. But alcohol and drugs go hand in hand with me. When I do drugs, I offset it with alcohol and when I had young kids, I did drugs because I needed the energy. I did well for a while.”

Renee became a mother at 19 and 21, but addiction continued to take its toll. After the unexpected death of her partner, her substance use spiraled further. “I went off the rails, and I’m honestly surprised I’m still alive. I started doing a lot of drugs, as many as I could handle.”

At 40, her life changed dramatically when she injured an elderly woman while driving under the influence, resulting in prison time. “I have a hard time forgiving myself. I’m so grateful she didn’t pass away but she was still injured. I still hurt her.”

After her release, Renee tried to care for her mother while battling addiction, but it became overwhelming. “I was drinking a lot and trying to take care of my mom and trying to cope. It was a mess, it wasn’t working. My way wasn’t working at all. At that point, even though I never believed before, I just fully surrendered to God.”

Today, Renee is experiencing transformation. “I love that this program is faith-based. I know that’s what I was missing. I feel just so blessed to be here.” As she focuses on her health and future, her greatest “blessing” is enjoying restored relationships with her daughters and the opportunity to spend time with her grandchildren.

“I’m just so happy right now,” Renee said. “God is so good.”