Meet Sharese

Two years ago, after going through a very difficult phase, Sharese decided to come to Outreach for assistance. “Outreach completely turned my life around,” she shared. “They helped me out of my abusive relationship and they helped me get a restraining order.”

Recently, she celebrated the two-year anniversary of her sobriety, which was an important milestone for Sharese. The Outreach community rallied around her, giving her handwritten notes of encouragement. “It was honestly amazing to have people that I don’t even know, like the volunteers, they wrote something,” she said.

Outreach’s art program has also been a safe harbor for Sharese to express the complex feelings she has inside. One of her favorite pieces she calls Beautifully Broken. “The cracks are the beauty,” she said. “They make me beautiful.” Each color carries a specific meaning: red for anger, blue for tears, purple as a Band-Aid, hiding her pain behind a smile. Another work, Beautiful Disaster, is layered with glitter, capturing emotion in both chaos and calm. For Sharese, art is a reflection of her inner world, serving as a way to make sense of both struggle and joy.

Singing together at a birthday celebration is another Outreach memory that stands out for Sharese, a moment of spiritual connection that showed her just how much this community means. Beyond art and celebration and a place that brings her comfort, Outreach has also provided her with other tangible support to help her reclaim her independence.

Sharese has found expression and empowerment and a place where she truly belongs. “Outreach has become like family,” she said.