Carrying Yourself To Healing: Sherri’s Story of Recovery and Redemption

This episode of Unseen Atlanta—part two of Sherri’s powerful journey—delves deeper into the true healing of transformation over survival.

In part one, Sherri came to Georgia seeking a new life. In part two, her life begins to rebuild from the inside out. Her story is one of grit, grace, and the deeply human need to be seen. It’s also a testament to how faith, structure, and community support can become a pathway to lasting change.

Hitting Rock Bottom

Sherri arrived in Georgia hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she found herself living in her truck, in a city where she knew no one, addicted and alone. The man she came with was soon incarcerated, and she was left spiraling.

“I left everything,” she says, “I was a broken woman… and I didn’t know who I was.” This wasn’t the first time she had faced hardship, but it was the lowest. Her addiction deepened. The streets felt hopeless. And worst of all, she felt invisible.

The Turning Point

After being forced out of temporary housing, Sherri arrived at Atlanta Mission’s Restoration House with nothing but desperation and 24 hours to find a place to stay.

She didn’t know if there would be room. She didn’t know if this would be different from all the other disappointments. But she showed up, fourth in line. And there were four beds. She had made it. For the first time in a long time, someone saw her, gave her a bed, and told her she mattered.

My Sister’s House

At first, Sherri didn’t come to My Sister’s House to heal. She came for a place to sleep. She resisted the structure. She pushed back against the process. But that changed thanks to Miss Avis, her no-nonsense advocate, who refused to let her give up.

At first, Sherri “was only here for a bed.” She didn’t want to change—she just wanted to use the resources and be out as soon as possible. But over time at My Sister’s House, her heart began to soften, and she saw that she deserved more than a bed. “I started to love me,” she says.

Through classes, support groups, and hard conversations, Sherri began facing her past and choosing a different future. Before, she hadn’t cared if she woke up. Now she cared about her life path.

Becoming Somebody She Never Knew

Over time, Sherri earned certificates, graduated from the Job Search Workshop, and landed a job at Publix. She started reconnecting with her children. The woman who once felt invisible began to hold her head high, and to dream. She realize that she mattered. “I am proud of me,” Sherri says, “If no one else is, I am.”

Her next goal? To open a home for women who have experienced abuse, where they can find safety, dignity, and hope—just like she did.

Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters

In this episode, Dr. Carla Garvin, Director of Programs at Atlanta Mission and a licensed psychologist, explains the power of trauma-informed care in recovery.

Many women like Sherri carry deep emotional wounds. Traditional approaches often focus on behavior. But at Atlanta Mission Dr. Garvin says, “We’re not asking, ‘What did you do?’ We’re asking, ‘What happened to you?'”

Safety, agency, spiritual care, and community form the foundation of the program. And they’re what made Sherri’s transformation possible.

Be Part of the Transformation

Sherri’s story is a reminder that we all carry pieces of brokenness, and we all need spaces where we’re seen, supported, and given the chance to begin again.

When we give, we’re not just helping someone else—we’re stepping into a story we’re already a part of. Because healing doesn’t happen alone. It happens in community. It happens when we show up for each other.

Let’s keep creating spaces where transformation is possible. Give today and help create more stories like this one.

Thank you to our season sponsor, Scott Pryor Law Group