Jenni’s Story

“HARP helped me like myself again.”

Jenni grew up in a violent household, where abuse was part of daily life. As she got older, she turned to drugs as a way to cope. Alongside manic depression, life became increasingly difficult to manage.

“I wasn’t choosing chaos, I was trying to survive it. We don’t ask for our problems. We don’t sit at school and think we want to be like this.”

When Jenni was referred to HARP, things began to shift. With the support of her key worker, she was able to look beyond immediate challenges and start to understand what had brought her to that point.

“For the first time, someone helped me look at the root causes, not just the surface.”

That understanding became a turning point.

“Getting to understand myself, and that it was okay not to be able to cope… that made all the difference.”

Rebuilding and moving forward

Jenni is now four years drug-free. She lives in HARP’s move-on accommodation and is part of her community in a way she never thought possible. She volunteers regularly and is focused on giving something back.

“HARP helped me like myself again. They rebuilt me and made me see I’m not a bad person.”

Looking back, Jenni is clear about how vital that support has been.

“Without HARP, I really believe I’d be dead or in a doorway somewhere.”