Lisa was 31 when she entered Project Pride with a two-month-old daughter. She stayed in the program for exactly one year and on the day of her graduation she reflected on her stay:
“I came into PP confused, scared and sad. I knew I had a long way to go. I was afraid to lose my daughter. I knew that I had to stop using drugs and already tried twice in the past. I really wanted this time to succeed.”
Before coming into Project Pride, Lisa was using heroin for 2 years. Due to a complaint filed by her family, she was required by Child Protective Services to attend a treatment program. Lisa had also been in an abusive relationship.

Lisa said that during her stay, the hardest thing was being away from her oldest daughter and her family, from her home base environment and people she cared about.
“But it was worth it,” she said.
“I learned discipline and appreciated the structure; the individual support and the different groups. I learned to follow through and get along with other women. Mainly, I learned to listen and I was listened to! I really appreciated my peers; their life stories, pain and struggles, taught me more than any school. And most of all, I did not feel alone! I am not going to jeopardize everything that I learned!”