God used a little sugar to transform a bitter situation.
Drugs have been a part of Maggi’s life as far back as she can remember. Both her father and her older brother were avid users. Her mother, though not addicted, enabled the behavior by financing them both.
Maggi seemed all but destined to follow in their footsteps.
By the time she was 16, she was hooked on heroin. By 20, she was homeless. By 28, she had lost custody of kids, possessions, and even broken ties to family because of her growing addiction. Squatting alone in an abandoned house in Sierra Vista was a bitter way to live life.
She had no idea something sweet was waiting for her just around the corner. In her wildest dreams, she never would have imagined that God would use cookies to turn her life around.
“I always thought that God had forgotten about me or that He hated me,” Maggi admits. “I didn’t know anything about grace or redemption. I was just so done. I was tired of being homeless and I hadn’t seen my son in months. I knew I needed to do something.”
That “something” found her quicker than she thought. Police surrounded the abandoned house Maggi had been calling home. She was arrested, but thankfully, instead of jail time, the judge sent her to the Phoenix Rescue Mission for recovery.
“When I came here, my hair was breaking off and was matted; it was bad. Then I met a friend, Rebecca, who came from a Christian family, and she helped walk me through what grace is and taught me that hope is possible and that God hasn’t given up on me.“
As she continued her recovery, little by little, Maggi started to change. Our staff equipped her with tools designed to help her effectively deal with cravings and avoid triggers. Counseling sessions helped her zero in on the root of her addiction and find healing. Weekly Bible studies brought her closer to a Savior she had never known and through that relationship she began to find transformation. That change only accelerated when she joined our social enterprise team.
“Joining the Mission Possible Cookies team was the best thing that could have happened to me. You get to go off campus; it feels like a real job. Instead of just rehab, I felt like I was working towards something and learning new skills that I’d be able to carry out with me.”
Maggi learned how to work in a team setting, how to do inventory, receive orders, package those orders, and more. She earned her Serve Safe certification, qualifying her to work in a large range of areas in the food industry. She thrived. She did so well, in fact, that it wasn’t long before she was promoted to a leadership position.
In addition to her work with Mission Possible Cookies, Maggi helps tutor children at the Changing Lives Center, allowing their mothers to concentrate on their own recovery.
“Leading a direct team of people to complete a project was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but Michelle was by my side through it all. She takes her job as a role model very seriously. Whenever anything happened, she helped walk me through it. She would encourage me not to give up and taught me to find joy in everything I do.“
Today, thanks to God’s ingenuity and your support, Maggi is a recovery graduate and a new creation in Christ. She’s sober, she’s earned back split custody of her son, and even has the skills to build a bright new future.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the time, talent, and treasure you give! Thank you for the prayers and support that continues to change lives, one sweet story at a time.
“Cookies changed the trajectory of my life!”
