Amber reunites with her son and finds housing after recovery

Now in recovery, living in permanent housing with her youngest son, and interning at a local nonprofit — Amber finally has the stability in her life to reflect on a challenging recovery journey.

Amber originally moved to Minnesota to be closer to her mom. She shares that she’d never had legal trouble and can’t explain what happened – but her first charge was “around 2019 or 2020” and over a short period of time, she shares that she “picked up multiple felony convictions.”

“I raised three children on my own and had a successful career,” shares Amber. “After I got [to Minnesota], I started making a series of bad choices.”

“I raised three children on my own and had a successful career … After I got [to Minnesota], I started making a series of bad choices.”

Pregnancy with her son helped change things at first, she shares.

“When I became pregnant, I stopped all criminal [activity] and drug use. After he was born, I eventually relapsed.”

During that time, Amber faced a deadline to enter treatment or face jail time – but due to an injury she couldn’t enter a non-accessible treatment facility. Police visited, found drugs in her apartment, and placed her son into emergency foster care.

Amber turned herself in, but during the months she spent in jail her family faced tremendous tragedy – her stepfather passed away, and then her mother passed away, all in a span of just a few months.

After she got out, she entered treatment and then was connected to Avivo. She shares that Avivo staff helped her move forward after that point.

“Camille, Brittany, Catherine and others at Avivo helped me work through a long list of things I needed to accomplish,” shares Amber.

At the time, she was reporting to probation officers in multiple counties, attending court hearings, following intensive supervision requirements, and also working to regain custody of her son.

“What made the biggest difference was that Avivo provided both housing and the ability to have my child with me. I’ve never found another program that offered that combination,” shares Amber. “Without that housing, I would have had nowhere to go. My alternatives would have been jail or a homeless shelter, which would not have supported my recovery.”

“What made the biggest difference was that Avivo provided both housing and the ability to have my child with me. I’ve never found another program that offered that combination.”

“The family housing was especially meaningful. It gave me a safe place where my son could be with me while I worked on recovery and rebuilding my life.”

When Amber entered treatment, she had “virtually nothing,” but staff at Avivo connected her with resources to obtain diapers, clothing, food, transportation, and other basic needs. She shares that staff helped her in so many ways, including celebrating her graduation from treatment and also helping her move into her current apartment.

“What stood out was how much Avivo staff genuinely cared,” she says. “You can tell when people actually want you to succeed.”

“What stood out was how much Avivo staff genuinely cared,” she says. “You can tell when people actually want you to succeed.”

Now, Amber has finally reached a point where her life is stable enough to start to process the grief from losing her mother and stepfather. She shares that some days are harder than others, but that her son keeps her going.

“If he sees me upset, he’ll tell me, ‘Mom, don’t be sad. Take a big breath.’”

Amber is working to explore potential career steps and plans to find stable employment. She recently graduated from an employment program at Twin Cities RISE and is interning at a local nonprofit. She has a goal to become a professional make-up artist. She’s also interested in becoming a recovery navigator to help other people going through similar challenges to what she’s experienced.

“I’m a thousand times better than I was a year and a half ago. I still have work to do, but I have my son, I have housing, I’m in recovery, and I’m moving forward.

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