Stories of Hope

Nine years ago, when I first got sober after nearly twenty years of struggling with drugs and alcohol, God placed a dream on my heart that I couldn’t shake.

I wanted to reach back into the darkness I had come from — not to relive it, but to help others find their way out.

That same year, I incorporated the Jenerosity Foundation. At the time, I had no idea what it would become. I simply knew God was asking me to say yes.

Over the last nine years, He’s done far more than grow a ministry. He’s grown me. Through seasons of waiting, healing, and learning to trust Him, He’s slowly clarified the mission.

Today, that mission feels more urgent than ever.

I believe we have an opportunity to reach young people before addiction takes hold — to help them build resilience, process trauma in healthy ways, and discover the purpose God has placed inside them long before the world convinces them otherwise.

An Answer to Prayer I Didn’t See Coming

This past March, I was unexpectedly let go from my job.

If I’m honest, it was unsettling.

But deep down, I also sensed God gently pushing me out of the nest.

I had a choice to make: stay where fear felt comfortable or trust that God was opening a new door.

While talking with my counselor, I shared the growing burden I felt to speak in schools and reach young people before addiction ever became part of their story.

She prayed with me for wisdom and direction.

The very next day, my friend Scott MacIntyre, an American Idol finalist and inspirational speaker, called me completely out of the blue. He asked if I would partner with him to speak at school assemblies. I just smiled. Sometimes God answers our prayers so personally that only He could have written the story.

A New Season of Hope

As I look back over the last nine years, I’m continually amazed at God’s faithfulness. What began as a personal story of recovery has become a calling to help the next generation discover hope before addiction ever takes hold.

This April marked an exciting new chapter as we launched our Resilience Through Adversity school assemblies and youth events. Together, we had the privilege of serving 820 students in grades K–6, and every child went home with a resource guide connecting them and their families to mental health and substance use support.

I’m also grateful to be partnering with my friend Scott MacIntyre as we bring these conversations to schools across Arizona — encouraging students to build resilience, make healthy choices, overcome adversity, and discover the hope and purpose God has for their lives.

We’re just getting started, and I can’t wait to see where God leads next.

See the Mission in Action

I’d love for you to watch a glimpse of what Scott and I are doing together and the heart behind these school assemblies. Thank you for praying, encouraging, and walking alongside us as we reach the next generation with hope.

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Real resilience begins when people feel safe enough to stop pretending.

This Independence Day weekend, as our nation celebrated its 250th anniversary, Jenerosity Foundation had the privilege of serving at the Joni and Friends Warrior Retreat in Prescott, Arizona. The retreat brought together the sons and daughters of military families — young people carrying stories, challenges, and responsibilities few of us fully see.

During an interactive workshop on resilience, we invited the teens to share unhealthy ways people often cope with pain.

The room filled with familiar answers.

“Social media.”

“Sugar.”

“Caffeine.”

“Isolation.”

Then a quiet voice broke the silence.

“Starving yourself… and cutting.”

The words came from a 14-year-old girl we’ll call Ella.

In that moment, my heart broke — not only for the pain she had been carrying, but because no teenager should feel that alone.

Yet beneath the heartbreak was something else: gratitude.

Gratitude that she felt safe enough to speak the truth.

In recovery, we often say, “The opposite of addiction is connection.” Over the course of the weekend, Ella and the other teens experienced exactly that. They built genuine friendships, processed life’s challenges together, encountered the hope of the Gospel, and discovered they didn’t have to carry their burdens alone.

We pray the conversations that began that weekend continue to grow into lives marked by resilience, authentic community, and the lasting hope found in Christ.

Every safe conversation, every shared story, and every act of compassion creates another opportunity for a young person to experience hope.

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Some of the most meaningful moments aren’t measured by applause — they’re seen in the students who quietly begin to believe their lives can be different.

This June, Jenerosity Foundation had the privilege of speaking with 60 teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale through our Resilience Through Adversity presentation, equipping students with practical tools for mental wellness, healthy coping, and resilience before life’s challenges become life’s choices.

After the presentation, the Teen Center Director shared something that deeply encouraged us.

Several of the students who are usually the most distracted stayed fully engaged from beginning to end.

For us, that’s more than positive feedback. It’s a reminder that when young people feel seen, heard, and understood, they’re often willing to listen.

It was especially meaningful to spend time with teens from local group homes, reminding them they are valued, their past does not define them, and their future is filled with possibility.

Investing in the Next Generation

We’re grateful to The Steele Family Foundation for making this opportunity possible and to the incredible students in the WISE Scholarship Program, who welcomed us with a tour and shared their dreams for the future.

Every conversation is another opportunity to help young people build resilience, make healthy choices, and discover the hope and purpose they were created for.

Thank you for partnering with Jenerosity Foundation as we continue reaching the next generation — one conversation at a time.

Support Our Mission

After overcoming homelessness, addiction, and deep trauma, Corrine rebuilt her life through the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Changing Lives Center. She completed the year-long residential recovery program, regained custody of her three children, and now serves as the Street Outreach Supervisor, helping others leave homelessness behind and begin their own journey of restoration.

Since being reunited with her children, Corrine hadn’t spent a single day away from them — a blessing she cherished. Yet we recognized the importance of caring for those who spend their lives caring for others. To help prevent burnout and encourage her in ministry, Jenerosity Foundation sponsored a three-day retreat in California where she could rest, reconnect with God, and be spiritually refreshed.

“Thank you, Jenerosity Foundation, for sponsoring a much-needed retreat for a single mom of three in ministry. This experience gave me time to draw closer to the Lord, connect with other women, and be spiritually refreshed. As a woman in recovery, it reminded me that I wasn’t alone.”

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Recovery is about more than leaving the past behind — it’s about having the tools to build a new future.

This May, Jenerosity Foundation donated seven Chromebooks and essential hygiene supplies to a behavioral health facility in Phoenix, helping men and women take meaningful next steps toward stability, employment, and long-term recovery.

Equipping People for What’s Next

Through partnerships with GCU CityServe and Colby Love CAN, these devices provide practical access to job applications, résumé building, educational opportunities, and community resources that support lasting independence.

But the most meaningful part of the day wasn’t what we delivered — it was who we met.

As we prayed with residents and listened to their stories, we were reminded that every person deserves to be seen with dignity, treated with compassion, and encouraged to believe that their future can be different.

Thank you to our partners and supporters for making moments like these possible. Together, we’re helping people rebuild their lives with practical resources, genuine relationships, and the hope of Jesus Christ.

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Benita’s Story

Sometimes the most important moments happen after the crowd has gone home.

After one of our school assemblies in Mesa, an 11-year-old girl named Benita quietly walked over to me with tears in her eyes. As she began to share her story, it became clear she had been carrying far more than any child should have to bear.

She told me she had already begun experimenting with substances while trying to cope with significant trauma and the reality of domestic violence at home. She was terrified that her teachers or classmates would find out, so she kept everything hidden, believing she had to carry it alone.

As I listened, I couldn’t help but think how many other young people are silently carrying the same weight.

That day, Benita did something incredibly brave.

She chose to speak up.

Because she found the courage to ask for help, I was able to encourage her, give her my phone number, and connect her with Full Circle, a trusted local program that supports teenagers facing substance use and other difficult challenges.

I don’t know what the rest of Benita’s story will look like.

But I do know this: hope often begins with one honest conversation, one caring adult, and one person willing to say, “You don’t have to walk through this alone.”

That’s why we continue showing up in schools.

Because behind every statistic is a child with a name, a story, and a future worth fighting for.

Help Us Reach the Next Student

Every school assembly creates opportunities for conversations like this one.

Through your prayers, partnership, and generosity, we’re reaching students before addiction takes hold — offering hope, building resilience, and connecting young people with the support they need.

Together, we can help more students discover that their story isn’t over.

Invite Us to Speak

Sometimes the most important conversations begin with one honest question.

A 15-year-old girl we’ll call Maria looked up with quiet sincerity and asked, “What do I do if I don’t believe in God?”

There was no anger in her voice. No debate. Just an honest question from a young heart searching for hope.

Jennifer understood that kind of searching.

Before Christ transformed her life, she spent 15 years caught in addiction, brokenness, and the relentless pursuit of something that could finally satisfy. She remembered the words an early mentor had once shared with her:

“God isn’t afraid of your honest questions.”

So she offered Maria the same encouragement.

“You don’t have to have everything figured out. Just ask Him. Pray, ‘Jesus, if You’re real, reveal Yourself to me,’ and keep seeking with an open heart.”

As they continued talking, tears slowly filled Maria’s beautiful brown eyes. It became clear she was carrying burdens no 15-year-old should have to carry.

Before they parted, Jennifer asked, “Can I give you a hug?”

Maria quietly nodded.

She stepped forward and wept as Jennifer held her.

In moments like these, we’re reminded that people don’t always need perfect answers first. Sometimes they simply need to know they are seen, loved, and not alone.

That’s why Jenerosity Foundation exists — to meet young people with compassion, point them toward lasting hope, and remind them that no question is too big and no life is beyond redemption.

Every conversation, every outreach, and every act of compassion creates another opportunity for someone to encounter hope.

Join the Mission

Recovery is about more than overcoming addiction — it’s about restoring lives, rebuilding families, and discovering hope again.

This March, Jenerosity Foundation had the privilege of serving 18 women in recovery at Terros Health – Pinchot Gardens. Through personal testimonies, practical encouragement, and the hope of the Gospel, we reminded each woman that her story is not over.

Every woman received a new Bible, a symbol of the lasting hope and transformation found in Jesus Christ.

One moment, in particular, will stay with us.

As the women shared what was motivating them to keep going, one mother quietly told us she had held her newborn baby for the very first time the day before — more than a month after giving birth.

It was a beautiful reminder that recovery doesn’t just change one life. It has the power to restore families.

Hope That Continues Beyond Today

Alongside spiritual encouragement, we shared practical tools for navigating life after residential treatment and connected several women — including an expectant mother — with long-term recovery resources that support mothers and their children.

We’re grateful to Lori Marshall and the team at Terros Health for inviting us to be part of these women’s journeys.

Thank you to everyone who supports Jenerosity Foundation. Because of your generosity, we’re able to encourage people at some of life’s most critical moments and remind them that hope is always within reach.

Sometimes we’ll never know how God uses a single conversation.

Other times, He gives us the incredible gift of seeing the fruit years later.

When Jenerosity Foundation visited Teen Challenge Phoenix, Jennifer Evans shared “5 Ways to Avoid Relapse & Transform Your Life.” Through honest storytelling, biblical truth, and practical tools for overcoming addiction, she encouraged the men to believe that their past did not have to define their future.

At the time, it was simply another opportunity to share hope.

We had no idea what God was doing.

Juan’s Story

Two years later, Jennifer unexpectedly ran into a man named Juan at a Celebrate Recovery gathering.

Juan shared that the day she spoke at Teen Challenge, he had already made up his mind to leave the program. He was packed, discouraged, and ready to walk away.

But something changed.

As he listened that evening, he felt the Holy Spirit urging him to stay, and he did.

Today, Juan is more than two years sober, walking faithfully with Christ, and living the life he once believed was impossible.

Stories like Juan’s remind us why we continue showing up.

We may never know whose life is changed by a single conversation — but God does.

Thank you for partnering with Jenerosity Foundation as we continue bringing hope, recovery, and the love of Christ to people when they need it most.

Support Our Mission

While serving with Joni and Friends’ Wheels for the World ministry in Chile, our team witnessed a moment that didn’t feel arranged — it felt appointed.

Sebastian, a 19-year-old walking through the aftermath of a life-changing diving accident, carried more than physical limitations. He was wrestling with what life could possibly look like now, and whether hope still had a place in his future.

On the other side of the same outreach, Jonathan — a professional athlete who had lived with paralysis for over two decades — moved through the day with a quiet strength that came from experience, not ease. He had known what it was to lose everything familiar, and to slowly rebuild a life anchored in faith.

When their paths crossed, something shifted.

What began as a simple introduction turned into an unplanned, unhurried conversation between two lives that shouldn’t have met at that exact moment — but did. Jonathan didn’t offer easy answers. He offered something more powerful: his story. The long road. The setbacks. The faith that held him when nothing else did.

Sebastian listened.

And in that exchange, something fragile but real began to form — hope that didn’t come from explanation, but from witness. Before the day ended, the two had exchanged numbers, not as strangers passing through, but as two men choosing to keep walking the journey together.

It was a quiet reminder to everyone there: sometimes hope doesn’t arrive as a message. Sometimes it arrives as another person who has lived long enough to prove it’s possible.

Join Our Mission

What began as a simple partnership has become a lifeline of hope for hundreds of men and women rebuilding their lives from the ground up.

In its earliest days, Jenerosity Foundation stood alongside the vision of Grace Sober Living through fiscal sponsorship — helping bring structure, support, and stability to something still taking shape.

Today, that seed has grown into something far greater. Grace now operates multiple Christ-centered sober living homes, offering safe housing, life-giving community, and a tangible path forward for those stepping out of addiction and into recovery.

What was once just a vision is now a living environment of restoration — where new beginnings aren’t just hoped for, but actually being written every day.

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Freedom isn’t simply saying no to addiction. It’s discovering something so much better that the old life no longer holds the same power.

While sharing the Gospel on the streets of Hollywood, Jenerosity Foundation founder Jennifer Evans was approached by a homeless man who offered her a hit from a freshly rolled joint. For just a moment, she felt the familiar pull of a life she had once known all too well. After spending 15 years trapped in addiction, the temptation wasn’t unfamiliar.

Then she smiled.

“No thank you,” she said. “I’m not going to ruin my Holy Spirit high.”

It wasn’t just a clever response. It was a declaration of the freedom she’d found in Christ — a reminder that what God offers is infinitely greater than anything addiction promises.

That same message of hope and redemption was later shared with more than 500 men and women at St. Vincent de Paul in downtown Phoenix. Standing before a room filled with individuals facing homelessness, addiction, and unimaginable hardship, Jennifer shared her story — not to highlight where she’d been, but to point to the One who changed everything.

Her testimony reminded every person in the room that no past is beyond redemption and no life is too far gone for God’s grace. Lasting freedom is possible, and hope is never out of reach.

Hear Jennifer’s full testimony and the message she shared with more than 500 men and women at St. Vincent de Paul.

Your support helps us continue bringing hope, truth, and practical resources to individuals and communities searching for freedom.