Christopher, who received an earlier Trace of Hope grant, has graduated with his bachelor’s degree and is now pursuing a master’s degree in social work. “I simply want to be remembered for making this work a better place for having me in it. I have been given the gift of sobriety, and I want to pass that on to countless others as someone passed it on to me. Whether I do that on the micro, mezzo, or macro levels of social work is still undecided, but I know there is work to be done, and I will be one of the ones who does it.

Receiving this grant for the first time helped put food in my stomach, keep a roof over my head, and gas in my car so that I could meet all of life’s demands that come along with pursuing a college degree.

I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are making such a profound impact on this journey, and it warms my heart that you are a part of it. When I sit down with individuals battling addiction, I get to cite individuals such as yourselves as advocates for us and our success.”

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