Today, Sandra Davis is a new home owner. She shares her story of overcoming the struggle of addiction, how God helped her through and seeing bigger and brighter things for her future.
Here's her story:
A lot of people say where God has brought them from. God dug me out of the mud. Coming to Better Community Development's Hoover Treatment Center changed my life. I am grateful for Rev. Robinson and the program. It has been proven that the 12 steps work. The Big book says, "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path." I knew I didn't want to go back to the streets. My mother prayed for me [and] I got a sponsor. She [the sponsor] walked me through the twelve steps. I didn't want to face who I was. In working the 12 steps, my sponsor helped become a person I love. God told me if you take one step, I'll take two. I just did what the Lord told me to do and He blessed me. He put people in my life to lead me in the right direction. I stuck with the winners, people who were living a sober life. I held on to the promises of God and every day waking up clean and sober. All I had to do was want it [a sober life] and accept who I was. I lived by the Big Book and I learned to be a better person.
I learned about BCD's Homebuyer Program through Monte Payne, a group facilitator at the Hoover Treatment Center. He encouraged me and opened my mind to homeownership. After two years of living with someone else, I got my own apartment because I didn't want to keep asking people to fix things. I worked two jobs and set goals. It took me two years to take the homebuyer class. After taking the class, Ruth Jones and Charles Vann (Former Homebuyer Counselors) showed me a house and I knew by faith it was mine. I told them, "This is my house." I went through the process of all of the paperwork and obstacles. No matter what I was going through, I kept thanking God and I never stopped.
Darryl Swinton was great in helping me close. After everything had cleared and anticipating the day I would get my keys to my new home, I received a call from the Lender/Title company telling me that I would not be able to close. I was devastated. After all of the work and waiting and now on the last day, I had to wait, again! I called Darryl Swinton and he reassured me that it would happen. I was so worried that I would have to wait, Again! Two nerve wrecking hours passed. He called me and boom...we closed that day! After going through the process of closing, I felt blessed that it was official. I received my keys. I feel great and love my new home.
Adapted, Songhai Nelson, Communications Specialist, Empowerment Center|Better Community Development, Inc
One of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church, Human Relations Day calls United Methodists to recognize the right of all God's children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with one another. The special offering benefits neighborhood ministries through Community Developers, community advocacy through United Methodist Voluntary Services and work with at-risk teens through the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program.
When you give generously on Human Relations Day, you encourage ordinary people to have a voice in changing the world. Give now.
