Jazmin
Jazmin’s Testimony
“Nothing about this has been easy, it’s been very difficult. But I just want to learn to be a good mom to my son.”
Jazmin’s addiction started when she was 14, “I was stealing alcohol from mom’s cabinet. My addiction has cost me a lot. It’s caused me to spend some time in Monterey County Jail and worst of all, be separated from my son for two years.”
When asked why she chose to come into The Bridge program, she noted that her options were limited. “I came to the Bridge because it was the only program that accepted me.” Her charges restricted which program she could get into. Bob Langley, the chaplain at the Monterey County Jail, told Jazmin about the Bridge. “When (Bob) told me about the Bridge program - I knew I wanted to go there.”
As she reflected on the beginning of her time at The Bridge, she remembered feeling secure. “When I first got to The Bridge I felt like I was somewhere really safe. Coming from jail and homelessness before that, I thought The Bridge was really fancy. It was beautiful and I felt safe.”
As Jazmin graduates the program, she reflects on how things have changed. “I feel like I've gotten stronger mentally. I have grown to see that I can do hard things or things that seem hard.” She has also felt her faith grow stronger and has learned to lean on God to give her strength day to day. “I feel like God changed me completely. I just feel like He's with me and everything I do is through God. He keeps me going.”
Jazmin went to church before coming to The Bridge, but lacked a deep relationship with the Lord. “When I graduated high school, I worked really hard to transport myself to church. I lived in King City at the time but the church I liked was in Salinas. So, I would take a bus to go to church every Sunday. But I didn't truly understand having a relationship with God until I came to The Bridge.” In month 5 of her program, Jazmin surrendered her life to her savior, Jesus Christ and got baptized.
Jazmin has gained valuable experience and skills during her time in The Bridge. “I’ve learned and gained job experience, how to coexist with others” in the workplace and in the house. “During my time in the program, I’ve gained some job experience working at the Second Chance Thrift Store. I’ve also enjoyed my time working in the Culinary Program. I’ve learned patience in the kitchen while they taught us complex dishes with multiple steps - it’s not simple like making ramen.”
When looking forward towards her future, Jazmin sees hope. “I started parenting classes and have had a couple job interviews over the past few weeks. I also look forward to going up to Second Phase and starting my life over.”
“One of the things I struggled with was feeling hopeful about my life and seeing a good future for myself. But now I feel like my future seems hopeful, that I can have a job and have my son with me soon to spend even more time with him.”
Jazmin’s story is similar to many of the residents, both men and women, that we have had over the years, with a strong desire to reunite and reconnect with their children that their addiction brought to an abrupt end. The typical reasons causing separation between parents with addiction and their children is usually through homelessness or time spent in jail or prison.
One of the most challenging things for these residents, who are also parents, is the fear of rejection from their kids, and it keeps them from reaching out. The most common question asked is “So what do I tell them?” We, The Bridge, encourage our residents to just be honest with them, since most kids desire a relationship with their parents. Sure, there will be a season of rebuilding - it takes time to restore any relationship. We encourage each resident to start that process by reaching out to their children, and become a stable figure in their life. We urge them to do this while they are in a safe place like The Bridge.
Your support makes sure we can provide a place for those struggling with addictions who are ready to change their life.