Story of Impact: Chelsea

Even though Chelsea had her Bat Mitzvah the year before, inside she was still scared and confused and not ready to be the woman everyone expected her to be. Uncomfortable in her own skin and unsure of her place in the world, she would retreat for hours at a time. That is, until her family's Seder in 2003. "I drank four full cups—and for the first time, there was silence in my head. I wanted that feeling of peace all the time."

Chelsea also found peace in her art, her drawing and her music, but by the time she entered high school, she was binge drinking and going to class high on a regular basis. Then, when she was 18 and weighed just 90 pounds, perhaps delirious, perhaps still high, she had a dream that "I was literally and spiritually dying." On the advice of a school counselor, Chelsea found her way to Jewish Family Service made possible by a $75,000 grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and an alternative addiction expert who would save her life.

With the help of Eve, her recovery counselor, Chelsea has made real progress. She reconnected with her Jewish community, began drawing again with renewed passion, and last month, she celebrated 18 months of sobriety. "I take it one day at a time. Most of all, I just try to really love and enjoy being 19."

A 50-minute counseling session for a child: $100.