A Champion’s Journey: Chasity Curtis’s Path to Recovery

At first glance, having a degree, a home, a car and a steady job may seem like ordinary milestones. But for Chasity Curtis, each of those things became extraordinary after a long season of loss, hardship and rebuilding. When Chasity first came to Champion Recovery Community more than two years ago, she was carrying the weight of a painful past and the uncertainty of how to move forward. Today, her life stands as a powerful testimony to perseverance, faith and recovery.
Chasity’s childhood was marked by complexity and instability. Adopted as a baby by the man she calls Dad, she later learned about her biological father and discovered siblings she had never known. Her family life became increasingly layered through divorce, remarriage and long periods of estrangement. Although her mother remained in and out of her life, there were significant absences, including a year when Chasity was just fourteen and later a period of incarceration for drug-related charges. Even in the midst of that instability, Chasity held tightly to the promises she made. One promise, in particular, shaped her path: she had vowed to her grandmother that she would graduate from high school, and she did.

By the time she graduated, Chasity had a home, a car, a husband and a three-month-old baby. But what appeared stable on the outside soon unraveled behind closed doors. Midway through her fifteen-year marriage, the relationship became turbulent and abusive. Chasity endured both emotional and physical abuse while trying to hold her family together. In the loneliness and pain of a one-sided marriage, she sought comfort and validation in the wrong places. When an affair came to light, the marriage ended in chaos and heartbreak, setting in motion a devastating chain of events that would eventually lead to addiction.

In the aftermath, Chasity found herself without a home or a car and under the close supervision of social services, who had to approve each place she and her children stayed. She moved from one unstable environment to another, desperately trying to create some sense of security for her family. She worked full time, attended required classes and cared for her children while navigating unsafe and unhealthy living conditions. Despite all of her efforts, she lost custody of her children. That loss became one of the deepest wounds of her life. As Chasity has shared, her children were her world and losing them pushed her further into despair and addiction.

Years later, just as she was beginning to regain some footing, another painful chapter unfolded. After learning that her children were living without basic necessities, Chasity tried to bring them back into her care. But because of court-ordered visitation and continued involvement from social services, her children were once again placed elsewhere. Knowing they were now in a more stable environment brought both relief and heartbreak. That heartbreak, combined with easy access to drugs through her surroundings, drew her even deeper into addiction. As she described it simply, "That broke me."

Before long, Chasity once again found herself without a home. With the people around her being arrested or incarcerated for drug-related offenses, the cycle of instability continued. She experienced homelessness and spent time in dangerous environments, trying simply to survive while staying one step ahead of trouble. By then, she felt numb to life and disconnected from hope. Drugs had become a way to avoid the pain, and the thought of facing reality without them felt overwhelming.

The turning point came when Chasity’s mother, newly released from prison, helped bring her to Tennessee. Shortly after arriving, Chasity got a job and moved out of the halfway house where they had been staying. Around that same time, she was introduced to Champion Recovery Community through the Women’s Support Group. What began as a simple visit would become a life-changing connection.

At Champion Recovery Community, Chasity found something she had not experienced in a very long time: genuine acceptance. Monday nights at the Women’s Support Group became a source of encouragement, connection and healing. She has often said that one of her favorite things about Champion Recovery Community is that people are allowed to be who they are and still be loved. For someone in recovery, that kind of grace can be life changing. Although she did not initially expect to stay involved with the program, she soon realized how much it meant to walk into a room where people were truly glad to see her.

One of the most meaningful parts of her journey has been the “12 Steps With Jesus” Class, taught by Mrs. Marsha Watlington. Chasity describes it as challenging but deeply worthwhile, the kind of experience that brings pain to the surface but also helps people move through it toward healing. As she continued to grow in her recovery, she stepped into a leadership role as a CRC Big Sister. In many ways, she believes she was being prepared for that role from the beginning, because other women naturally came to her for help, encouragement and advice. She has embraced that opportunity to make someone else’s day better and to walk alongside others as they begin their own recovery journeys.

Today, Chasity continues to share her story with others in the community and actively recommends Champion Recovery Community to those who need support. Through every hardship and every victory, she has been learning to see herself through the lens of faith and to understand her worth through who Jesus says she is. She returned to school and earned her certification as a Medical Assistant. She now lives in a stable home, drives a dependable car and maintains steady employment. More importantly, she continues to invest in her personal growth and recovery. Chasity Curtis’s story is not simply one of survival, it is a story of restoration, resilience and hope.

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Champion Recovery Community Founder, Alyson Riley, shares, “I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Chastity. She went from being a missing person for whom we prayed to a champion who attacked every goal with focus. She did everything needed to complete her judicial obligations, graduated our year long program and then became a certified phlebotomist. I couldn't be more proud of her accomplishments!”