Lisa's life since childhood was filled with drugs and crime. Now a mother herself, Lisa wanted to be there for her daughter, but she didn't know how. The example taught to her since childhood set her up to fail. 

Lisa found herself following her mother's footsteps of drugs and crime and it formed a wedge between her and her daughter Alissa.

"Here I was on the same path that my mother had done before me and the very thing I never wanted to be," Lisa said.

Alissa wanted Lisa to be there. She was confused and angry at her mother for not "getting it together." She felt abandoned.  

"I was in a situation in life where I needed hope now," Lisa said. "Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but right now. And Buckner gave that to me." 

At Family Pathways, Lisa felt accepted and cared for. She was able to heal. 

"I did not have a lot of hope she would come back around," Alissa said about her mother. 

But with time, they were able to heal their own relationship. Though it took time, Lisa was able to show how much she had changed. They spent time together. They talked and laughed. 

"I was able to trust her again and get rid of that sense of hopelessness," Alissa said. "It took me from not wanting to be like her at all to actually wanting to be like her. I'm pretty proud of that and I'm pretty proud of her for doing that." 

"We were able to strengthen our family," Lisa said.

Family Pathways is designed to help single parents in crisis who need to care for their children and determine next steps for their family’s future.

Find out more on how Buckner Family Pathways is strengthening families.