I am an advocate for, and personal member of the recovery community. The last time I had any mind altering substance in my body was October 3, 2017. I always start my story by saying I was born an addict. Even some of my earliest memories involves feeling uneasy within myself and learning at an early age to drown out that feeling in whatever chaotic way I could. I learned to use substances to manipulate the way I felt at an early age with the help of an ADHD diagnosis and prescription meds.

 All throughout high school I watched my mother spiral downwards with her mental health and alcohol addiction. She made several suicide attempts that I had to "save" her from, until she finally completed suicide my senior year.

 After my mother's death, the little bit of experimenting with substances I was already partaking in became a full blown lifestyle. Slowly but surely, I started doing things I never thought I would do. For a decade I descended deeper and deeper into addiction until there was no substance I would do, and no action I wouldn't take to get it. I had become a thief, a liar, and manipulator, with absolutely no respect for my life or anyone else's. I was homeless, broken, and literally insane and psychotic.

 One particular evening after walking the streets with nowhere to go, I ended up in a car with strangers. That car got pulled over by narcotics officers that I was no stranger to. They happened to be filming for the television show called Intervention and instead of taking me to jail they offered me help. (If that isn't Devine intervention I don't know what is) The next day, they personally drove me to the cobb crisis center for detox. I wish I could say that was the part I found recovery but unfortunately I didn't know how the system worked and got discharged with no plan. However, the seed had been planted and I knew there was a way out now. A few months later, at the first dead end I reached I walked with my friend all the way across the county back to the crisis center. This time, I knew I needed to be discharged to a program. That's when I found Mary Hall.

  I showed up at Mary Hall with no money, no ID, hopeless and scared. In fact, I remember going to the laundry mat to wash all of our clothes that first day, and discovering all that was in my bag was random junk and trash and broken needles. I cried right there on the floor because the realization hit me of what my life had become. Ms. Joyce, who had never met me, held me and told me "just throw it all away, you don't have to live that way anymore". When they say "we love you until you learn to love yourself" they mean it.



 The blessings didn't stop there. They clothed me, fed me, and most importantly impowered me. I learned so much about myself and my disease while I was at Mary Hall. They allowed me the space and safety to take my power back and let my anger go. I was baptized while there, I learned I had hepatitis c and got the treatment I needed to cure it while there, I went to EWW and became employable, I became involved in a recovery community and completed my steps with a sponsor while there. Mary Hall opened my eyes to the Lord who had been waiting for me to return to him with open arms.

  I completed Mary Hall and graduated in 2017. I met my husband through recovery and had my daughter. By the grace of God she has never seen either one of her parents high, and she has parents who are fully present in every aspect of her life. I continue to advocate in the community and always will. I am part of a recovery Podcast that I host along with two other amazing women called Recovery in the Raw, I am very involved in my homegroup and have state level service positions there, I help facilitate a women's peer support group and am seeking to grow the recovery community in my county, I am the director of preschool ministry at my church, and during the week I am a certified preschool teacher. 

 Words can not express how truly miraculous my life is today. One thing is for sure though, I WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT MARY HALL. I am forever grateful. -Casey Bridges

Hi, my name is Crystal Sellers, a former sailor in the United States Navy, a highly decorated veteran of The War in Afghanistan and the Global War on Terrorism.

In November 2021, I entered the VA’s Veterans Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Program. In February of 2022, the VA transferred me to Mary Hall to be enrolled in the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for female Veterans and their children. Because Mary Hall offers Intensive Outpatient Recovery Treatment that also provides Medical and Mental Health Services, intensive 1 on 1 counseling, Grief and Trauma education, career development, spirituality development, and an Aftercare program, Mary Hall, undoubtedly, was the best choice for me.

Before I reached out to the VA for assistance, Life had beaten me down, knocked me in every direction imaginable, then spit me out and left me for dead as an alcoholic. With an open heart, a warm bed, tons of nourishment in all forms, treatments for all the things, and my willingness, the VA and Mary Hall were eventually able to breathe life back into this hopeless soul. Not just any kind of life, but a life of exceptional quality, with a solid foundation, a support system, gratitude, sobriety, freedom, and an unconditional love for God. I am no longer suffering from thoughts of suicide, uselessness, self- pity, hopelessness, crippling fear, depression, loneliness, despair, or grief. Little did they know how much of a positive impact it would have on my everyday quality of life and future by showing me what it was like to live comfortably and safely again. I no longer lived in shame. Allowing my confidence, my self-esteem, and my self-worth skyrocket.

Mary Hall will continue to help thousands of homeless women veterans and their families make the transition back into civilization a much more smooth, comfortable, confident, and healthy one for many years to come. I am forever indebted with gratitude. Thank you, Mary Hall Freedom Village, Veteran's Administration and every hand, spirit, and soul that played a role in making all this possible. - Crystal Sellers

Before she enrolled in T.R.O.O.P.S., Maria, an honorably discharged Army Veteran who served from 1981 to 1987, was living on the streets of Pittsburgh, PA. But after a violent encounter in the park, she called home, Maria felt “homeless, hopeless, and didn’t want life anymore.” Eventually, Maria moved to Atlanta for safety and “ a better opportunity.” Upon her arrival in the Peach State, she went to the Veteran Administration’s (VA) Community and Resource and Referral Center (CRRC) at Fort McPherson

From there, she was assigned to transitional housing at Mary Hall Freedom Village (MHFV) through the VA’s Grant Per Diem program and was referred to T.R.O.O.P.S. by MHFV’s Veterans Programs Case Manager. While enrolled with T.R.O.O.P.S., the staff helped Maria develop an Individual Employment Plan, and provided her with a new resume, interview skills, work clothes, focused job leads, and supportive services funds, which allowed her to use public transit to get to and from job fairs, and interviews.

The encouragement, support, and the services Maria received from the staff at T.R.O.O.P.S. and their partners led her towards the path to self-sufficiency with not only one, but two jobs, and her own two year funded Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) apartment at the Veterans Empowerment Organization’s (VEO) new Veteran Community Apartments in Atlanta.

When speaking about her journey from homelessness to newly housed and employed, Maria simply says that “God had blessed me.” According to Maria, her time at MHFV and T.R.O.O.P.S, allowed her to “get my life back,” and become “a responsible productive member of society.” Although Maria did most of the heavy lifting with her can-do spirit and never say die attitude, she credits T.R.O.O.P.S. with going “above and beyond the call of duty to assist me. I began to thrive with the love and support of Mary Hall [Freedom Village],” and for that “I am grateful and very appreciative.”

T.R.O.O.P.S. will continue to follow Maria’s progress for a full year after she successfully met her employment goals.- Maria L

I successfully completed MHFV April 19, 2021 and I am still sober today. The apartment style housing was just what I needed to focus on rebuilding myself without distractions. The structure helped me learn and respect discipline. The daily groups prepared me for REAL life outside of the rules/regulations of being in a safe facility. Overall, I am forever grateful for Ms. Lucy and her dedicated staff despite the temporary discomforts. This is not a vacation getaway, it is a rigorous self discovery, a way to forever save and change your life for the HIGHEST GOOD.  -Shanika McKay

I came to MHFV in September of 2021 , I’m so thankful and grateful for this program. From all areas of staff I’ve been shown nothing but love understanding and respect . I would recommend MHFV to someone looking for treatment. They love you til you learn to love yourself! And still love you when you do find your self love! Thank you to all your hard work and dedication staff - Jenn Lamb