SouthLight’s impact on “Maria’s” recovery journey and how you can support our efforts!

Each month, SouthLight treats thousands of Wake County residents who struggle with substance use and mental health issues. A former client named “Maria” was one of them when she came to us in 2017. She was a young mother trapped in two destructive relationships: one with an abusive partner and one with heroin. She had lost all hope…and the will to live. Today, we urge you to support SouthLight’s efforts to connect clients like Maria with critical treatment services and basic resources.

Your donation expands access to quality behavioral healthcare by covering the costs of walk-in services for people needing life-saving outpatient treatment. 

At SouthLight, she found a glimmer of hope and a first step toward long-term recovery. In addition to kicking her addiction through medication-assisted treatment, Maria worked closely with a counselor who taught her valuable coping skills. She also learned to navigate her PTSD and anxiety by attending group therapy with a number of her peers. 

Six years later—and six years sober—it is clear that Maria’s long-term success was possible because she immersed herself in treatment. But when she arrived, Maria was struggling to find a place to live. SouthLight paid Maria’s rent in a sober-living home for three months while she was receiving SouthLight services. As a result, she was able to focus on her recovery. 

Your donation introduces stability to the lives of clients in early recovery by covering up to three months of rent for clients enrolled at SouthLight. 

At SouthLight, Maria built a foundation. She developed a support network, practiced the coping skills she learned in counseling, and began attending 12-step meetings outside of treatment. Eventually, she got certified to be a peer support specialist, working with others struggling with the same challenges she faced. She discovered she could use her past struggles to
give hope.

Your donation brings hope to the lives of clients in early recovery by covering the costs of hiring Peer Support Specialists who share their experiences with SouthLight clients. 

When asked about the impact that SouthLight had on her, Maria says, “I finally started living life.” Today that life includes raising a 9-year-old daughter, pursuing a master’s degree, and connecting people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders to housing and other critical resources…the same resources that SouthLight connected her with years ago.  

Please consider a gift to SouthLight this holiday season. Your contribution will ensure substance use and mental health services are available to people in need, regardless of their ability to pay. We appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

Adam Hartzell 
CEO, SouthLight Healthcare