Genevive
My story is so different from many others but, in all honesty, I am just another addict. My story like so many others consists of pain, hardships, loneliness, heartache, and depression. My name is Genevieve Hatcher, I am 32 years old, and I started using at the early age of fourteen. For almost 20 years I have been back and forth in active addiction. There have been times when I was homeless on the streets with no shelter or food and what felt like nobody truly cared.
One thing I always knew to be true was that I was never alone; I believed with all my heart that there was a power greater than myself, the one I chose to call God. Since a young age I believed that I had a bigger purpose in life. A purpose bigger than myself; that I was meant to help others.
As an addict I have witnessed things that most people could never imagine; domestic violence, and addicts overdosing right in front of me. I have woken up on the street next to someone I was talking to the night before now breathless and ice cold, their life taken due to hypothermia. I have witnessed more deaths due to addiction and unnatural causes than any person should ever witness. That is why I always chose to keep a good heart through it all; God has blessed me with a good heart. I never judged or looked down on anyone, no matter their circumstances. I was no better than they were, right?! Even in active addiction I chose to fill whatever room or group I walked into with a positive energy, even if it meant sucking me dry. I knew God would fill me up with positivity and hope again to engage again with others who were living in the dark with no hope. I always told myself that if I could be used by anybody for anything I would choose to allow God to use me to help others and I feel that he has always done that. Whether it be an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, or a warm hug and a message of hope. I am okay with being used by our good Lord to motivate others with the spreading of love and hope for so many that need it now more than ever.
Today I live at Truly Motivated Transitional Living and work for the Salvation Army shelter. I am not only living a sober life, but I get to give back to so many who are living the life I once lived. TMTL is not just a home to learn how to live a sober life. It is a place to learn how to become a better version of yourself; the version God intends us to be. To motivate us not just to help ourselves but to help others in faith and recovery.