“The moment I walked into my new room at Joshua Station I cried, just seeing the bed. I hadn’t slept in a bed of my own since 2018. At best I would be in my car for naps or hiding on a workplace floor, going weeks hardly sleeping at all.”

In the past year since that moment, Jenny Padilla says she is doing “phenomenal.” Working together with her Joshua Station Family Advocate Lauren Ruth, she has:

• Maintained her sobriety “I’d never go back to that life!”
• Made personal strides in therapy “It’s an amazing resource for us residents”
• Landed a good job at Mountain States Toyota and advocated for a raise “They’re happy with the work I do”
• Saved money and worked to regain her driver’s license “For more opportunities”
• Enrolled in college “I’m very determined and absolutely confident I’ll go all the way to my master’s degree in psychology”
• Become a healthy and loving mom “My kids give me a reason to live every day”

“I have such a beautiful relationship with Lauren,” says Jenny. “Before Joshua Station, I never had good relationships with anyone. I can tell Lauren anything, and she doesn’t judge. She makes me feel special; not alone. She constantly encourages me to do better. It’s helped me open up to other friendships, too.” Read more here