““Here, I found love, confidence and people who truly care.”
Tiki came to City Rescue Mission after decades of substance abuse, broken relationships and deep loneliness. She had sought our help before – but this time was different. With God’s help and the support of people who truly listened, she began a new chapter filled with hope, purpose and love.
Raised on a farm by her great-aunt and uncle, Tiki remembers daily chores and close-knit family routines, surrounded by the rhythms of country life. Sadly, those fond memories are also clouded by abuse and unhealthy situations at home.
As a teen, she dreamed of serving in the military and even passed the entrance exam. But love changed her plans. She chose marriage instead.
For 17 years, she poured herself into raising the couple’s three children. The family’s life included frequent moves tied to her husband’s Naval career. Tiki did her best
to create a home wherever they landed. Yet while she embraced her role of wife and mother, cracks began to form in what she thought was a solid foundation.
“I pretended to be happy, but I was lost and broken.”
As her children grew older and less dependent, Tiki found herself struggling with a growing emptiness and unprocessed trauma from her past. Seeking relief in an unfamiliar city, she was vulnerable to negative influences. Eventually, her poor choices – including substance abuse – destroyed everything she held dear.
Her marriage ended… her family fell apart… and she lost the home she and her husband had built together.
As her children grew older and less dependent, Tiki found herself struggling with a growing emptiness and unprocessed trauma from her past. Seeking relief in an unfamiliar city, she was vulnerable to negative influences. Eventually, her poor choices – including substance abuse – destroyed everything she held dear.
Her marriage ended… her family fell apart… and she lost the home she and her husband had built together.
“I had nothing. I had no one. I was a wreck, and I was ashamed.”
Tiki spiraled deeper into despair and substance abuse. Her destructive behaviors led to charges that could have sent her to prison. “But by the grace of God, I got mercy when I didn’t deserve it,” she says. That realization compelled her to come to City Rescue Mission. But she left before graduating. “I cut myself short,” she says.
Tiki reached rock bottom in 2024. All alone, she came face to face with her substance abuse. “I looked into the mirror and saw nothing but death,” she says. “And I didn’t want my children to have to identify me like that.” She called the Mission and asked to come back. This time was different.
“I actually accomplished what I set out to do.”
In our LifeBuilders program, Tiki truly committed to the work of recovery: Developing important life skills.
Embracing education and workforce development. Most importantly, as she studies the Bible and becomes grounded in God’s Word, she’s healing
from the pain of childhood abuse. With renewed self-confidence, she serves as a hall monitor and sings in the choir.
She has also discovered a spiritual gift for praying for others. It gives her purpose and fills the void in her life.
“When I pray, I can feel the Holy Spirit guiding my words.”
As Tiki prepares to graduate, she walks beside her sisters in recovery,
encouraging them with her story of God’s healing and grace. And she treasures the Mission family and community that supported her every step of the way.