David smoked marijuana for the first time when he was 10 and graduated to hard drugs after high school. He has overdosed nine times. He’s taken four ambulance rides. But he’s still alive. “The Lord said, ‘No. There’s something for you.’ And it took a long time for me to say, ‘OK, Lord, I’m going…

Jennifer grew up in an environment she calls “dysfunctional.” Her mom was sober when she was going to church, but would stop attending—and start drinking—often. Her parents never married and all of her aunts and uncles used drugs and drank regularly. “I was probably 13 when I first tried marijuana, and I was 15 when…

Joey was born to parents who were happily married. They didn’t drink or use drugs. They worked and took their children to church every Sunday. Despite his traditional upbringing and supportive family, Joey felt something was missing. He started rebelling early, trying marijuana when he was 12. “I remember when I first even discovered the…

When Cody was a little boy, his mom would leave him alone for long stretches of time. There wasn’t much food, and he never knew where she was going or how long she’d be gone. When Cody was 5, his sister was born, and he cared for her often in his mother’s absence. “I never…

I was raised just like any other kid. My parents both worked full time, so we had a comfortable life. We would go on vacations and lived the normal American dream. I started to rebel at about 14 and went full on in my junior year of High School. I wanted to make my own…

“I heard about the Lighthouse through my grandparents, they knew someone who worked here. I had a feeling that the Lighthouse might be where I needed to go. I was hesitant because the program is nine months, but then I decided to try it; I was tired of running,” states Kuliah. Her running began as…