This week I had the opportunity to sit down with one of Safe Places’ newest staff members, Kayla Winter. Kayla shared her story with me – a story that echoes the experiences of so many. From a bright, hopeful young woman to a shadow of herself lost in addiction, her journey is a testament to both the fragility of life and the strength it takes to reclaim it. Caught in a web of toxic relationships and substance abuse, Kayla was at her breaking point – until she found a glimmer of hope. That glimmer wasn’t just survival – it was a newfound purpose: helping others break free from the struggles she had herself endured. Through Safe Places for Women, she discovered her passion for advocating for victims of human trafficking, transforming her pain into a lifeline for others.
“I’ve struggled with anxiety and attachment issues from a very young age. When I was five, my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. This is also the age where a lot of my body issues started. I was in gymnastics, and so perfectionism was a huge thing. I was constantly comparing myself to the other girls. I thought that my shoulders were fat, so I would wear t-shirts under my leotard. So by the age of five, I hated myself. I think some of that tied into watching my mom go through her body issues during her cancer. But I was excelling in sports and school.
Life was going pretty well, my mom made it through her cancer. When I turned 14 she got breast cancer for the second time and tubular cancer on top of that. And my dad had lost his job all at the same time, I was transitioning to high school, and I think I just had this void in my heart. I grew up Catholic, so the God I knew was a God of anger and wrath, and I thought that my mom was getting cancer because I was doing something wrong. So this was the point I started self harming, cutting and burning myself. This is also when I developed bulimia and anorexia. I was in a bunch of therapy, which continued all throughout my teenage years. I was always the shy girl, the wallflower, until I went to my first party at 17. I remember taking my first few shots and feeling like, this is the answer. This is exactly what I’ve been searching for! That night I got major alcohol poisoning and ended up flat lining in the hospital. That didn’t deter me from doing it again.
By the time I graduated high school, I had four MIP’s, two shoplifting charges and a hit and run ticket. My family circled up in the living room and had an intervention. I ended up going to treatment and I think that was the first time I ever got an understanding of what addiction and alcoholism is. But I was in such denial that I had a problem. I wasn’t ready to stop.
From 18-26, my whole life was pretty much this cycle of going to treatment, doing really well, getting out, doing well for a little bit until something happened and starting the cycle over again. A lot of withdrawal, a lot of hospital visits, two DUI’s and every form of toxic, abusive relationships. I was homeless for a little while, living out of my car, and I had a collapsed lung and ended up in the hospital. This is where the doctor told me ‘if you want to continue drinking, you’re not going to live past a few more weeks.’ So I could keep knocking on death’s door or choose a different path. Through a local recovery connection, I was accepted to a treatment center on a full ride scholarship for 90 days. And I actually wanted it. I wanted it for me, not for my parents, friends or anyone else. I went to treatment and spent the time really working on myself and trying to learn how to bring some healing to all the hurts I had. Because I wasn’t addicted to alcohol, I was addicted to changing the way I felt.
After treatment I did eight months in sober living, and got connected to some really positive people in the community. About a year ago I was asked to take over lead communications for a group of young women in Kathmandu, Nepal that have been heavily human trafficked. I feel like God has been ordaining my steps for this job at Safe Places for Women since October of last year. I was connected with Ked and Michelle and it just seemed like a really good fit.
I love this job because I have seen the destruction, hurt, darkness, trauma, sickness and pain specifically in women’s lives. A lot of us have some really deep, dark stories. I think that’s why I have such a big heart for women, because of the abuse I experienced in my own story. I think that when you can match all that pain and trauma and put these women in a safe home, where their main focus is Jesus, that sets them up for a lot of success. It sets them up to maybe get to know a different God than they grew up with, like me. I have walked the path of feeling utterly worthless and unlovable. Yet, by the divine grace of God, I now have the incredible privilege of reminding these women every day that they are seen, heard, chosen, precious, and loved beyond their wildest dreams. It’s a joy to pass on the gift of love and worth that God has so freely given to me.
I think places like this are vital in the community and in the state. We only opened back in January and the way God has already moved in not even a year is crazy to me, and so beautiful. I would invite people to really get educated about what’s happening in our community. The importance of getting educated, spreading the word, volunteering, getting involved and praying for everyone involved is so important.”
Kayla’s story is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always a way forward. Her strength didn’t just come from surviving, it came from her faith in God and her determination to heal and reclaim her life. Through that faith and surrender, she found the courage to rise above her past and now uses her strength to lift others up, proving that no matter where you’ve been, you can rise, rebuild and become a beacon of hope for those still finding their way.
