In the winter of 2004, I received a felony for drinking and driving.  The verdict shattered my aspirations, deadlocking my future plans.  In the years that followed this verdict, depression and poor decision-making filled my life, and my expectations for the future became lower and lower.

I was born in Minneapolis, and am the single mother of five children.

For years I struggled with depression, resulting from many years of abuse.  After losing custody of two of my children, I became emotionally incapacitated, and soon learned that a way to numb the pain was through the use of drugs. 

I first met Andy in Oct. 2001.  I was in the Olmsted county jail on a drug charge. I knew at that time I was in deep trouble and needed a way out.  It was time to do something different, but I wasn't sure of what to do.  I also knew that what ever it was I needed to do, I could not do it alone.