Fourteen years ago if anyone would have asked me, "When was the last time you turned a trick?" I would have replied, "Well, just last night." Then my life was so full of self-hatred, shame and denial. I was doing life in jail on the installment plan and using drugs to numb my feelings of hurt and helplessness. I was truly confused. I felt that no one cared and was all too willing to just self-destruct. There was a hole in my soul.

Then a glimmer of hope! In the jail gym I noticed a woman who was sitting on the floor next to an inmate. The woman was a volunteer named Rev. Debbie Blair from Lydia's Place, She had come in the jail for Bible study group. I watched them pray together, I watched her listen to the inmate, and I watched her hold and comfort the inmate with unconditional love. I witnessed God's love through their interactions. Days later I made a decision to invite Christ into my heart. The hole in my soul was being filled with the love of Jesus.

What does my life look like today - fourteen years later? I'm an active participant in my community, my church, and my children's school. I'm a sponsor for women in recovery and a student at CCAC majoring in business management. I'm a paralegal and an advocate for special education. I developed and coordinated the first women's transitional support group in the Allegheny jail. I do whatever God tells me to do.

Margie House gives women a choice and the support they need after release. Women don't have to return to their waiting pimps or to their most profitable corners. I count it an honor to have an opportunity for you to hear and see what a difference Christian support can make in the lives of women and their families. I challenge YOU to continue to make a difference and to continue to support the ministries of Margie House.