As a young girl, Marqueta never felt comfortable in her own skin. She longed for belonging yet often felt like an outsider, both within her family and at school.
She grew up with her parents and siblings while her father served in the military. By the age of 13, Marqueta was introduced to alcohol, became promiscuous, and eventually ran away from home. Despite the instability, she was an exceptional student. She received multiple scholarship offers and dreamed of becoming a nurse. Time and again, she would enroll in school, only to drop out shortly after. Looking back, Marqueta shares, “Drugs and alcohol robbed me of all my dreams and aspirations.”
Life quickly became what she describes as a “chaotic windstorm.” Marqueta became a mother of four and, for more than twenty years, endured domestic violence. Her son was diagnosed at a young age with MPS 2, and even in the depths of addiction, Marqueta cared for him tirelessly and with unwavering devotion.
When her son passed away at the age of 19, the grief was unbearable. Her addiction intensified, and though she desperately wanted to stop, the pain in her heart felt too heavy to overcome. Marqueta attempted to take her own life several times, overwhelmed by sorrow and hopelessness.
On August 4th, the anniversary of her son’s death, Marqueta sat alone on her bed in a dark room, surrounded by drugs and alcohol. At 3:00 AM, scrolling on her phone, she came across a video about Charlotte Rescue Mission. Dove’s Nest immediately caught her attention. Through tears, she cried out to God and typed a message on Facebook: “Please help me.”
When her phone rang at 8:00 AM the next morning, Marqueta was stunned. She didn’t answer, but a voicemail was left asking her to call Dove’s Nest. When she did, the woman in admissions asked one simple question: “When can you be here?”
Marqueta was in disbelief. She was in the middle of sending her youngest daughter off to college. She prayed, “God, if you help me get her to school, I will go.” And she heard Him clearly respond: “Go.”
A few days later, Marqueta dropped her daughter off, packed a small bag, and boarded a Greyhound bus from Fayetteville to Charlotte, she knew in her heart that this moment would change her life forever. As she approached the doors of Dove’s Nest, she noticed a plaque that read, “Behold, I make all things new.” She recalls, “The moment I walked in, I just cried. I collapsed on the floor.” She knew her life was about to change.
During her time at Dove’s Nest, Marqueta says she lacked nothing. “They took care of all my needs. My physical needs, clothing, hygiene, and food. I didn’t have to worry about any of that,” she shares. For the first time, she felt safe and seen.
In her very first one-on-one counseling session, she heard words she had never heard before, “You are amazing.” That powerful affirmation broke through years of shame. She cried until there were no tears left.
As she began “checking off the boxes” of the program, something far deeper was happening…true life transformation. “I found God!” Marqueta says. Her relationship with Him began to grow, and everything started to shift. “I realized He was always there for me,” she reflects. “I asked Him to help me forgive myself.”
Real, lasting change took place through her body, mind, and spirit. Marqueta was made new. She graduated from Dove’s Nest, enrolled in the KEY program, registered for classes at CPCC, and is now working toward a degree in Human Services. Her dream is to become a substance abuse counselor and help others find hope, just as she did.
Above all, Marqueta is learning to trust God daily. Her relationships with her children have been restored, and she speaks with her daughters every day. Laughing, she says they often ask, “Who is this person?” She has also built deep, lifelong bonds with the women at Dove’s Nest. “There’s a bond,” she says. “Anywhere I go, there’s a graduate. At the bus terminal. At meetings. It’s a whole movement!”
Marqueta, who was once isolated by guilt and shame, now walks in freedom and community. She shares with gratitude, “Dove’s Nest saved my life. I fell in love with God, with myself, and with this program.” She feels God’s presence throughout Dove’s Nest, in every volunteer who walks through the doors and every donor who gives.
Marqueta was made new. And because of Dove’s Nest and Charlotte Rescue Mission, she is ready for whatever life brings next.
