At first, Desiree was nervous to be at the Lighthouse. Now, she’s grateful to be surrounded by other women.

Desiree was raised in Oxnard, where she grew up as the oldest of two children in a single-parent household. Her mother worked constantly, leaving Desiree to care for herself and her younger brother.

With her mother rarely home and caught up in street life, Desiree learned to look to the streets for belonging. “The street life had me since I was a baby,” she said. “That’s what I saw. My mom loved the streets, Desiree knows ‘God isn’t done with me yet’ so I figured if I did the same, maybe she’d love me more.”

But her mother’s death shortly after Desiree graduated high school sent her life spiraling. “She was my whole world,” Desiree shared. “When she died, I didn’t care about anything anymore. I had no hope for the future.”

Before her loss, Desiree had built a life of her own — an apartment, a car, and dreams for the future. But when her mother passed, everything she had worked for suddenly felt meaningless. “I just let everything go. I didn’t care if I lost it all. I was done,” she said. “I started doing drugs. Before, I would just deal them. But then I started using, and that’s when everything went downhill.”

For years, she lived on the edge — lost, numb, and disconnected from the people who loved her most. “Being homeless is not the business,” she said. “It’s embarrassing. Sleeping at the park all night, that’s crazy.”

Even her brother eventually stopped speaking to her, unable to be around her while she struggled with addiction. That silence became her breaking point. “When he stopped talking to me, I knew something had to change,” she said. “He’s part of me too. I needed him.”

Still, change didn’t come easily. “The streets had a grip on me,” she said. “I tried to get clean, but I couldn’t do it on my own. The drugs wouldn’t let me go. I was just stuck.”

And then, her miracle came. “I had my son,” Desiree said. “He’s my lifesaver. He brought me back to life. I was already a dead man walking, but he gave me a purpose. I want to be the mom I didn’t really have.”

That purpose led her to the Lighthouse. “This is my third time here,” she admitted. “The first two times, I just wanted a place to sleep. I didn’t really want to change. But this time, it’s different. Now I have something to live for. I can’t go back.”

When Desiree first arrived, it was a new world. “I’d never been around so many girls before,” she laughed. “I was always one of the guys. But being here, I realized — I was the problem. I was stubborn. I thought I knew everything. But the Lighthouse helped me grow up. It helped me become a woman.”

Now, eight months into her stay, she sees how much she’s changed. “Before, I thought life was all about survival,” she said. “Being here has taught me boundaries, patience, and humility. I used to think my way was the only way. But now, I’m learning to listen, to trust.”

Desiree said she wants to be the mother she never had.

And she’s learning about faith. “I always knew about God,” Desiree said. “But I didn’t know Him. Unless it was a funeral, I wasn’t in church. But now, I want to pray. I want to teach my son how to pray. I want to be a good example for him.”

Faith, she says, has helped her rediscover her worth. “I used to think I wasn’t valuable,” she said. “But now I know I’m royalty — my mom used to tell me that, but I didn’t believe it. Now I do. God saved me.”

Desiree’s outlook is filled with hope and determination. “Now I have plans,” she shared proudly. “I want a career, a car, a home. I want my son to have stability. I used to not care about any of that, but now I do. I’m doing it for both of us.

“Drugs over family was my biggest mistake, but with Gods mercy, I am still here and doing better.”

She’s also rebuilding her family relationships, one conversation at a time. “When I was in my addiction, my family disowned me,” she explained, “but after I had my baby, they saw I was trying to change. They came back. They want me to do good again. They’re proud of me.”

To those who make her transformation possible — donors, volunteers, and supporters — Desiree’s message is heartfelt: “Thank you. You don’t even realize how much you help people like me. Without you, I wouldn’t have what I have. Just your time, your donations — it means everything.”

She also has a message for women who may be where she once was. “If you’re ready to change, do it. God will meet you where you’re at,” she said. “He’s done it for me so many times.”

For Desiree, every day at the Lighthouse is another step forward — away from addiction, away from despair, and toward a future full of faith, love, and purpose. “God gave me my son to save my life,” she said. “And I know He’s not done with me yet.”