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Before coming to Marisol Homes, DJ was living in a tent, struggling with a meth addiction and caught in a violent relationship. When she learned she was pregnant, she realized how truly exhausted she was of living this way—tired of being hungry, tired of moving from one encampment to another and most of all, tired of being afraid. That moment of clarity led her to call her mom, find space at a domestic violence shelter, and begin the journey to sobriety. Without even realizing it at the time, April 14, 2024, became her sober date.
While searching online for programs that could help her stay clean, DJ found a story on the Catholic Charities website about a woman named Esperanza, a Marisol Homes alum who had rebuilt her life and reunited with her children. Reading Esperanza’s story gave DJ hope that she could do the same—for herself, for her baby and for the five children with whom she had become estranged during her battle with addiction.
It took time. Six months passed before DJ was able to fully separate from her abuser and start fresh. When she finally arrived at Marisol Homes, a Catholic Charities ministry that supports pregnant women and mothers with young children, she was surprised to meet Esperanza in person at her first community meeting. DJ shared how much Esperanza’s story had inspired her, and the two women hugged and cried together.
Now, fifteen months later, DJ is preparing to move into her own apartment in Westminster with her daughter Esme, who she gave birth to while at Marisol Homes, as well as her 19-year-old daughter. Two of her children who now live in Utah already have plans to visit for the holidays. For DJ, it feels like the family she thought she lost is slowly coming back together.
Little by little, DJ has rebuilt her relationships with her six children, some of whom have children of their own. A few of them now gather on the 14th of every month to celebrate her sobriety milestone. She gets to see her grandchildren again—something she once thought would never happen.
Her past holds deep loss—homelessness, violence, addiction and the deaths of people she loved. DJ is a survivor of abuse from childhood into adulthood, carrying pain she hasn’t talked about for decades.
At Marisol Homes, DJ found space to begin healing. On-site therapy gave her a safe place to unpack the trauma she had long buried. Through counseling, she learned to set boundaries and rebuild her sense of self. Therapy helped her understand that healing isn’t linear, but it is possible.
She’s learning how to be a steady, loving mother and grandmother, how to trust again and how to care for herself. As she prepares to move into her new apartment—a place that’s truly her own—DJ knows this is just the beginning. Her daughters will live with her, her other children are now a part of her life and her home represents more than stability—it’s a an added symbol of transformation.
“What I really needed all along was healing, I needed it for years,” DJ said. “And now, I’m finally on the path to it.”