Grace Donn, senior support worker at addiction recovery charity Teen Challenge’s female residential centre, Benaiah, talks about reaching out to women battling their addictions.
My morning
My day kicks off at 7am when my alarm rings. When I first get up I don’t like to watch the TV or listen to the radio – instead, I prefer peace and quiet to ease myself into the day, along with a strong cup of good coffee.
I then potter around, taking care of motherly ‘duties’, before setting off from my home in Fraserburgh to Benaiah, near Mintlaw, at around 8.30am. On the way there I play music to try and liven myself up a bit.
Most of my mornings are spent in the classroom, where I deliver our teaching. We cover a range of topics from ‘anger and personal rights’ to ‘love and accepting myself’, which is particularly beneficial to the girls in our centre as many who come to us for help suffer from, for example, underlying eating disorders.
We engage in some extremely raw and interesting conversations and, as the girls get more comfortable with each other, the classes often open up into group counselling sessions.
My lunchtime
I always make sure I eat with the girls, as I think it’s important that staff don’t just have lunch at their desks but rather come alongside the residents and get involved in the fun and chat.
We recently welcomed our first infants to Benaiah, making it possible for struggling mothers to continue living with their children while they turn their lives around.
This means that throughout the day, we support and encourage the mothers to not only complete the Teen Challenge programme but to also be the best parents they can be.
My afternoon
My afternoons are very varied. This is when I carry out my PA (Personal Advice) sessions, where I speak to individual residents on a one-to-one basis and discuss the issues that led them into the chaotic lifestyle that comes with addiction.
We try to get to the core of problems by exploring past hurts, wounds and insecurities, which we often find drove them to drugs and/or alcohol in the first place. By addressing the core reasons behind addictions, people can find true freedom and can go on to live new lives, which they and their families can be proud of.
I also interview applicants who are looking to come into the centre. During interviews we want to see a real desire and hunger in people. They’ve got to be desperate for a fresh start and completely sick and tired of the mess and mayhem they’ve been living in.
My evening
I head away from Benaiah at around 5.30pm and on the drive home I try to relax and get back into mum-mode. Again, I like to listen to music from my favourite bands such as Hillsong, Third Day and Casting Crowns.
I am very involved in the life of my church, AOG central in Fraserburgh, so I am usually busy in the evenings. On a Friday, we have our Glo Kids Club, where we have 150 children come to play games, sing songs and enjoy Bible lessons.
Overall, I love my job and feel very fortunate to be able to make a difference in hurting people’s lives. I am always so inspired by the courage of girls who leave everything they know behind to come to Benaiah and grasp the opportunity they’ve been given to change.