The Bufkin’s Story “Growing up, I never experimented with drugs. I began taking prescription medication for my migraines, and that’s where it all started,” Greg Bufkin solemly recalls. A devoted husband and father, Greg battled opioid addiction for years—a battle that put a serious strain on his relationship with his daughter Harley. Harley noticed signs...Read More

Deanna’s Story The reverberations of opioid addiction can be felt for years. Deanna Woods, a social worker from Winona, experienced the devastation caused by addiction firsthand early on in life. “Throughout my childhood, I had a family member addicted to pain medication,” Deanna explains. Understanding the impact opioid addiction can have on families, she committed...Read More

Alisha’s Story “I started experimenting with drugs around the age of 15,” says Shackelford. “I was always around drugs. My family and friends were using them.” Alisha started with prescription painkillers and later began using heroin. When she needed more money for drugs, she started shoplifting—a decision that landed her in prison three times. Then...Read More

Rip’s Story Rip Woodward is living proof people can overcome the bondage of addiction, even if they need more than a second chance. Rip experimented with drugs on and off as a teenager. After graduating from high school in Clarksdale, he moved to Memphis with plans to attend college. He enrolled but never went to...Read More