Ashley K. – Grateful and Forever Changed

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Meet Ashley K.

Forever Changed By a Faithful God

Hi, my name is Ashley K., and I have been at Gilgal since September of last year. I came into the program because my life had spiraled out of control due to one unhealthy choice after another.

Growing up in an unstable home, I found love and affirmation in all the wrong places. By the age of 12, I was lost in the world of drugs, alcohol, and men. This destructive lifestyle only worsened as I grew older and was introduced to heroin and meth.

Child protective services removed my daughter right before Thanksgiving eight years ago. After that, my drug use worsened. I tried to get help for my addiction, but the drugs had such a hold on me. Sadly, I was not ready for change. That is until three years ago when I got pregnant with my son. Unfortunately, I continued to use during my pregnancy, and my son was born with drugs in his system.  I had to leave him at the hospital, which led to depression and more drug use as I watched my second child be removed by the state.

Eventually, at age 30 my destructive lifestyle landed me in jail. The five-month confinement, however, did not compare to the internal prison of guilt, and the sorrow I felt after losing my friend to an overdose. I’m grateful I was put in jail.  If I had not been arrested, I might be dead now. I knew I needed to change; I just didn’t know how.

I’m grateful I was put in jail.  If I had not been arrested, I might be dead now. I knew I needed to change; I just didn’t know how.

My journey ultimately brought me to Gilgal.  Since coming, I have found the structure and acceptance I have always needed and wanted. The staff and my Gilgal sisters have taught me what real love is, and what it is like to be a part of a family. I now know that God loves me, and that He has good plans for my life.

I will be graduating this November from Gilgal and am more hopeful than ever about my future. During my time here, I have gotten a steady job, established a savings account, and have even paid off fines to get my driver’s license reinstated. It feels good to be responsible and to dream of things that I never thought possible, like owning my own car and renting my own place. I hope my changed life will open the door for reunification with my family and children.

I am grateful to God and to everyone He used to help make my dreams a reality. Change Happens at Gilgal, and because of all of you, my life has been forever changed.

Changing Lives One Ride at a Time

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Special thanks to our valued partner, Heirborn Servants, for gifting Cora F. with a beautiful car. Cora becomes the second Gilgal graduate our friends at Heirborn have blessed.

“I thank God for using John and Denise at Heirborn Servants to bless me with this car. Having my own transportation changes everything for me — how I get to work, where I buy my groceries, and how often I get to see my family. Words just can’t express how grateful I am.”

A Car Changes Everything

It’s probably safe to say that most of us with vehicles rarely think of life without them. Day after day; task after task, we simply get in our cars and go. And if we were honest, we might admit that sometimes we don’t even recall the ride. It has become such a habit that we unconsciously go through the motions, taking for granted the gift we possess.

But what if the car was no longer there. Practical things like getting to work, going to the grocery story or picking up the kids from school would suddenly be transitioned into a completely different dynamic. The old saying about not appreciating something until it is gone definitely applies here.

Teenagers know the exhilaration of their first driving experience. How that designation as an authorized driver changes their lives completely. Freedom and independence are now words they can embrace and live. And, seniors know the desperation of holding onto to that freedom. It’s why the very last thing they want ripped from their control is the ability to drive. Because when that happens, everything changes — now they must depend on someone else.

Well, for the women of Gilgal, not having a car is limiting. Riding public transportation means relying on transit schedules to move you from point A to point B (C and D) in a timely fashion. Sometimes this might mean turning down a job or apartment that is not on a bus line, or leaving for work two or three hours early. And, have you ever tried to shop for groceries while riding the bus?

Yes, Cora’s life has changed drastically and the world has literally opened up to her. Suddenly, her family, who live in Milledgeville, don’t seem so far away. And the bus stop she walked to at 5:00 in the morning, well, it’s a thing of the past. And oh, that spacious trunk she now has will hold all of those groceries she needs in one trip.

Change Happens at Gilgal, and it has happened for Cora! Thank you Heirborn Servants for making this possible.