By: Melanie Ruberti

Melanie.ruberti@lagrangenews.com

Neighbor: Kelly Camp

LaGRANGE – The Daily News’ weekly Neighbors series features one person from LaGrange and the surrounding area. This week we sought out LaGrange native Kelly Camp. Camp has been very open about her past addictions to drugs – and her present road to recovery. She shares more about her life with us today.

LaGrange Daily News: How long have you lived in LaGrange?

Kelly Camp: “I have lived in LaGrange my entire life … 31 years.”

LDN: Where did you go to high school and college?

Camp: “I went to Troup High School. I studied nursing at West Georgia Tech, and I am currently a student at Argosy University Atlanta working on my degree in Substance Abuse Counseling/Behavioral Health Sciences.”

LDN: Tell me about your family. How many children do you have?

Camp: “… I have three children. Cameron, age 14 years old, Caitlyn, age 12 years old and Chloe, age 3 years old.”

LDN: What are some of your hobbies and interests?

Camp: “I enjoy embracing opportunities to help people. Particularly people who have lost hope or are on the verge of losing hope … I have an overwhelming sense of urgency to reach out. I guess because I can relate to so many of their struggles. I know there is, in fact, a reason to hope and to trust. I also enjoy my children (they keep me pretty busy), music and poetry.”

LDN: Tell people a synopsis of your struggle with drug abuse and your road to recovery.

Camp: “I found the power of Jesus Christ when it finally set me free from a 17-year addiction to drugs – mostly opiates. As a teenager, I was using (drugs) pretty regularly. To the point of having numerous incarcerations by my 19th birthday. Shortly after being court ordered to a treatment center for the first time, my child’s father died in an automobile accident. Right after that, I was involved in a fatal head on collision where the other driver passed away and I sustained dozens of serious injuries. I stayed in the hospital for a little while, and developed a pattern of depending on my pain medication … I let it destroy my life and my family for the next nine years, stripping away every single thing I loved and cared about. I checked into four more treatment centers and was arrested a total of 13 times. Finally, a devastating series of events forced me to my knees, and in those lowest moments, only by the grace of God, I found my way out. Since then, he has restored every single piece of my life better than it was before …”

LDN: What organizations are you involved in and what is their purpose within our community?

Camp: “I am the ministry leader for Break Every Chain and the residence manager for Next Cross Road.

Break Every Chain is an awareness event and a revival for people who are, have or love someone suffering from addictions, depression, anxiety, illness, domestic violence and many other strongholds … that keep us from seeing the truth. We gather on the square right in the middle of downtown and worship, pray, testify, support and tell the truth about Jesus Christ. It is an awesome event … a blessing to watch and a blessing to attend.

Next Cross Road is a five phase after care program for women in recovery who have already completed an intensive inpatient treatment program. These women are looking to stay on the right path, but do not have a safe environment to return to. We have a program in place designed to offer them support and help them succeed.”

LDN: What are your future goals?

Camp: “My future goals are to raise my children to share their faith openly, continue in ministry and to do whatever God tells me to do. My plans never work, only his do. So my goal is to stay on his path.”

LDN: How do you think you can make a positive change within the community?

Camp: “I can make a positive change by embracing this community as the home that I love and share the responsibility of making it a better and safer place for our children to grow up in. If we can reach one person at a time, one chance at a time, one day at a time, it will create a ripple effect. Positive changes are coming for Troup County. I can help by … doing my part. We all can.”

‘Neighbors’ is a weekly series by the Daily News that highlights community members. To nominate a person to be featured call 706-884-7311 or message us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LaGrangeDailyNews.