Meet Us Monday: Lauren, Peer House Leader

She was born in D.C. to Army parents, and moved often as a child, eventually settling in Richmond and graduating from Dinwiddie High School. After becoming a young mom, Lauren worked her way up in the fast-food industry, becoming a manager. Exhaustion, instability, and the pressure to keep going led her down a difficult path.

She spent years battling Substance Use Disorder — cycling through incarceration, losing her home, job, and custody of her child. “When I got arrested in South Carolina, I didn’t even know what state I was in. That moment — realizing how far I had fallen — was the turning point.”

After serving time in Virginia, Lauren was released with nowhere to go. That’s when she connected with REAL LIFE.

Through the structure, support, and stability provided at a REAL House, Lauren began to turn her life around. She is training to become a hiring manager at a fast food restaurant and recently reconnected with her daughter and family. “It’s been a journey. But I’ve had to do the work, take responsibility, and rebuild trust.”

Now, as a PHL, she’s using her story to help others do the same. Her future goals? Climbing the management ladder, building a stable home, and continuing to show her daughter what recovery, resilience, and growth look like.

We’re proud to have Lauren as part of the REAL LIFE family — showing every day that recovery is possible.