We are working to change the ending for families of addiction.
"Without Peaceful Family Oklahoma, I don't think I would be able to even have the scholarships or be at a college," says Kylie, 18 of her University of North Alabama Nursing School experience.
At the age of 10, Kylie moved to Oklahoma to live with her grandparents. She says she struggled with anger, sadness and being separated from her mom. Consistently, children living with addiction think their family's addiction is caused by them, that it is their fault. Kylie was no different.
Walking through the doors of Peaceful Family Oklahoma's children's program with other kids feeling the same way as her suddenly made Kylie realize she was not alone in her journey. At PFO, Kylie learned that her parents' addiction is a disease and that it could not possibly be her fault.
Kylie describes herself as "a very angry child" who disliked, even sometimes hated, herself. She thought anger was a bad emotion. In the PFO program, she learned that there is no such thing as a bad emotion. She found healthy ways to release her feelings with her safe people. She learned that when we keep feelings inside, it becomes a part of the cycle of addiction.
Most importantly, she learned her JOB IS TO BE A KID.
488 children like Kylie have graduated from Peaceful Family Oklahoma's intensive program since 2014. One-in-four Oklahoma children are growing up in a home with addiction. Without help, they are eight (8) times more likely to develop an addiction themselves. But Kylie's path has been altered. Her story has been changed.
Our services remain free of charge to all families who need us.
We envision a world where no Oklahoma child impacted by addiction goes without the support to change the ending to their stories, like Kylie. Please join us in helping the many Oklahoma children just like her to find help, hope and healing with a gift to Peaceful Family Oklahoma.