Serena’s Story of Hope is the eleventh in our Stories of Hope video series. Serena opens her story by sharing that her parents were alcoholics, and she herself used heroin, marijuana and cocaine. Despite going to several different drug treatment programs, Serena kept relapsing because she admits she wasn’t ready to surrender and give up drugs. But one day she woke up, and finally had enough: she couldn’t do it anymore.
Serena came to House of Ruth because she was homeless. Before she found House of Ruth, she was sleeping in cars, as her mother had died in 1993, and since then had nowhere to go. Serena’s brothers and sisters didn’t want her to stay with them, as she was still using drugs at the time.
But everything changed when she got a call from House of Ruth, which Serena shares was the best thing that happened to her in her life. She has been with House of Ruth ever since, and loves and appreciates the staff.
Serena ends her story by sharing that one her brothers, whom she used to do heroin with, had since passed away. So now Serena is living for her brother as well as herself, and is no longer using drugs. Her focus now is to be a grandmother and mother to her kids.