Survivors Share What Gives Them Hope

VIDEO – IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS –

March 10, 2024 – Stephen Dees understands the power of hope, something he found through his faith. “Today, I’m a minister, I’m an ordained minister, I have a beautiful career, I have a beautiful wife, I have a life that I never thought I could have,” Dees said. “And that was after 14 years of meth addiction, that’s after probably just about that many years locked up.” Dees and his wife Catt help Blount County residents struggling with addiction at True Purpose Ministries. They help people get sober through the faith-based ministry.

“Recovery is so much more than just getting clean,” Catt Dees said. “It truly is about healing those deep wounds those traumas that caused us to seek those things, so that we can self medicate and escape the wounds that we’ve not dealt with.”

MDC hosts events leading up to and after the Day of Hope. One of those was Sober Yoga at Renegade Yoga. Jeff Bell is an instructor.

“It’s been a really important part of our community, not just for people who are in recovery from drugs or alcohol, but we have people who come for all kinds of reasons they have emotional trauma, or, you know, just personal life challenges,” Bell said.