I was looking for a safe place to be while getting my life back on track and had spent 13 months at a Women’s recovery Facility named Turning Point. Prior to entering Turning Point, I had suffered a breakup of a 25 year marriage followed by a year-long relapse and ended up living in a garage, stealing to support myself. I had exposure to recovery before and made the call to detox because I felt I was going to die if I didn’t do something—I had been hospitalized 3 times within a year. I could hardly pack a suitcase and I had no idea how all this was coming together at the time, but I knew I had to do something. A friend from the program suggested I contact a women’s recovery home called Turning Point and get on their waiting list to transition to. I was actively seeking something that was 12 Step based and Turning Point was definitely that. So much of what has occurred is just pure grace—the way things have just fallen into place for me have been an act of God. I stayed at Turning Point about a year. I had been coming to meetings off and on here at Pioneers since 1989, which was around the time of my first exposure to AA. A counselor at Turning Point suggested the apartments here at Pioneers as a means of aftercare, staying close to the program and being near my children who are also here in Chula Vista. I’d also been attending the Women’s Wednesday Night meeting for years so I knew a lot of the ladies here. After applying for the apartments here at South Bay Pioneers and eventually getting the greenlight to move in I was so excited–I felt like God had provided the right spot for me to be able to change and grow.
Sarah Olmedo
