- Drugs
- Faith
Who’d have ever thought that God would be able to use a wretch like me? 2002 found me to be a mother of two living children, neither of which lived with me, and a deceased daughter, and I was pregnant with my fourth. A 27-year addiction with marijuana that began at age 11 quickly progressed to a myriad of other drugs and a life of chaos and crime. My children were ages seven and three at the time, and I had recently undergone my second open-heart surgery. You’d think that one would consider the health consequences as they experimented with drugs that are deadly, but I did not.
May of 2002 found me in the C dorm at Hillsborough County’s Faulkenburg Road Jail, 37 years old and pregnant once again. My oldest son, Daniel, was in the custody of my parents and my middle son, Eric, was a ward of the state. Eric, born cocaine positive, had medical issues to contend with as well. Pregnant again, it all brought me literally to my knees. Crying out from that jail cell and asking God to help me, it was no longer possible to live life the way I was living. God heard my prayers and I was blessed again. Facing a 103-year sentence, I was set free a mere eight days later. I’m not really sure how that happened except for the grace of God. His court is the highest court of all.
When released, I was on house arrest and really had nowhere to live. Temporarily, I went to the baby’s father’s house. He was the only person I knew who didn’t do drugs, and my family had disowned me by this point in my addiction. God lead me to a pregnancy care center and from there He opened the door to the Salvation Army Transitional Living Center (TLC). Absolutely amazing was the fact that they accepted me. Within a couple of weeks, I was able to move in.
From that point on, I have not looked back. However, I will never forget from where I have come. Eric and I were reunified in October, and in January, James was born. In February, I found myself working for the US Army doing janitorial work and I held several positions at local area churches doing daycare during women’s Bible study. My only desire was to be my dad’s first daughter to go to college. Going to Southeastern University was simply another miracle of God. I began classes the next day and had absolutely no money. They sent me to the bookstore to give me the necessary books, and we were on our way. Two years and eight months later, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Church Leadership and Human Services.
I since have gone on to get my master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and am currently working on a PhD in Human Services with an emphasis in non-profit administration. I am also preparing to take my state exam in March to get my CAP (Certified Addictions Counselor).
When I left the Army, I purchased a town-home where my boys and I live. God has restored my family completely. My three sons and I have a good life and we serve the Lord first and foremost. In 2009, we established a 501c3 called Zoe’s Journey, reaching out to others who are stuck in a life of chaos and dysfunction. We serve women coming out of life-altering situations, especially post-incarcerated and homeless addicts who want to reunify their families that were dismantled due to negative life choices. We currently have a home where we house the ladies and work on reestablishing their lives. Through the provision of one-on-one and group counseling, education, and life-skills classes, we are assisting families in rebuilding broken lives.
Zoe’s Journey works with the court system and the child welfare system to serve those who need it the most. Together, we can change numerous lives and bring families back together. Our entire curriculum is Christ-centered, and we are solely supported through private and corporate donations. It is part of the vision to have the local faith-based community sustain the ministry through financial support, prayer and volunteerism.
Through the Salvation Army, I was afforded the opportunity to turn my life around and my children are being raised in a Christian home, serving God. Now, we are able to reach out to others and give back from what has been so graciously given to us.
The Journey behind Zoe’s Journey
By Jonathan K.
As a survivor of domestic violence, addiction, and incarceration, Carol Z. understands how transformative the walk in Christ can be.
Carol was born into a southern Roman Catholic family and lived in Puerto Rico for much of her childhood. Exotic voyages and traveling island to island on the company boat were hallmarks of living a privileged life.
Although living in a well-to-do family had its perks, these perks caused Carol to become what she currently refers to as “spoiled.” As she began nearing her teens, this self-indulgent behavior led to a lifestyle of poor choices.
As Carol advanced into her teenage years, she confessed that drugs and an immoral lifestyle became the markers of living a rebellious lifestyle. She became a rebel without a cause, a rebel whose only motive in life was self-gratification. Life in the fast lane became a rush so addicting that she remained enslaved to it for nearly 30 years.
The life of quick fixes and caustic cycles eventually left Carol exhausted. “I was tired,” she recalled. A life of immediate gratification also led to serious repercussions, eventually landing her in prison.
The consequences of her behavior no longer only affected her. As she became a mother, her choices began to negatively affect her children. “It was my children,” she said, as she explained the reason she began to undertake the arduous journey to drug sobriety. “I wanted to rid myself of the selfishness as an addict.”
It was at this time that Carol hit rock bottom and made the decision to make some changes in her life. At 37 years old and in a Florida jail, Carol surrendered her life to Christ. When she made the choice to follow Christ, her journey in life began to take on a higher meaning. As she began to hope for the future, she was unknowingly being prepared for a much larger purpose in life.
After being released from jail in June of 2002, Carol was destitute and homeless. “I was on probation, had a one-month-old baby, was living in a shelter at the Salvation Army and didn’t have a job,” she explained. At this point, her other children were living in foster care. Her life was still in shambles, but she was working on making it better. Carol said, “I focused on God and began learning how to live again.”
One of the decisions she made at that time was to return to school. In 2003, she enrolled and began studying church leadership and human services. “The school opened up their doors to me despite of all of this,” she said. “It really showed me how Christians love people the way they are and how they encourage them to do better.”
Carol said that the sense of community she experienced at school and the servant leadership that the faculty and staff encouraged in students left an indelible mark on her. “School taught me to serve,” she said. “My experience there was awesome. It was a real eye-opener to God’s word.”
Carol’s confidence grew while she was studying there and she graduated magna cum laude in December 2005. “I learned to love myself and learned that I was worthy of love. Then my self-esteem and confidence began to grow,” Carol said.
After graduation, she landed a job with a community organization that helps local children. “It was a miracle,” she said “because the Department of Juvenile Justice doesn’t allow those with criminal histories to work with kids.” In Carol’s case, the youth-mentoring organization made an exception.
Out of Carol’s desire to help women in similar circumstances to those she had experienced, she founded Zoe’s Journey in 2009. She wanted to help women break free from the toxic bondage that she once suffered in as well.
Zoe’s Journey is a faith-based organization that focuses on rehabilitating post-incarcerated women by getting them off drugs, mending family ties and helping them build job skills. Carol explained that life after prison is often difficult for former inmates and many of these women relapse.
The mission of Zoe’s Journey is to help these women get their lives on track by encouraging them that they can turn their lives around. Carol serves as a living testimony to every woman who goes through Zoe’s Journey that people can change. “There’s hope for everyone,” Carol said. “If God saved me, he’d save anybody.”
The organization has had a remarkable impact on the community. All the programs that Zoe’s Journey offers are used to bring each woman to her fullest potential. “I pray that God keeps my heart humble,” she said. Her organization has become incredibly successful over its short year and a half existence and held its first fundraising banquet this fall.
The university president of Carol’s alma mater was the keynote speaker and spoke on the unique ability that hope has in changing a life. “Hope rolls up its sleeves and reaches out,” he said. “Hope transforms lives.”
Zoe’s Journey has joined forces with the university’s Social Work and SIFE Clubs. The professor who presides over the Social Work Club said, “Carol has a really compelling story and because of that students really identify with her and with what she’s doing.” The Social Work Club is geared toward getting members to actively engage the community and serve. Earlier in the year, a number of students helped clean the grounds for the rehabilitative housing for the program. “Carol is a marvelous example of the power of God’s grace,” said the associate professor of social work. “She has also taught students to be more involved with the local community.”
Several of the students who are enrolled in the university’s social work program are currently serving as interns with Carol. She is actively working to give others what has graciously been given to her: another chance at life. She was recently recognized by Girls Inc., where she received the “She Knows Where She’s Going Award.”