VIDEO: Walk A Mile In My Shoes

CALEDONIA, Miss.(WCBI)—Living with an addiction is a heavy burden to bare but the members of Columbus Carpenters For Christ Organization are working to ensure no one is in the fight alone.

Saturday the group hosted it’s first awareness walk.

“I’m a recovering addict. I’ve been clean now a little over 9 years,”said Columbus Carpenters For Christ Co-Founder Tamara Jacobs.

Jacobs says, You don’t recover from addiction by not using, you recover by creating a new life.

“I just have a heart for anyone who’s lost or hurting and that’s what Carpenter is. We’re just a group of people who love the lord, love sharing his message, and have a compassion for those who are hurting. If we can help in any way, we just always try and do that,”said Jacobs.

The group began in 2010 and since then has been actively working in the fight against addiction.

Candice Bragg is volunteering with the ” Walk A Mile In My Shoes” event she says the fact that the organization exists is encouragement, alone, to the area.

“The organization,  is just touching and it touches me. I’ve never been addicted to anything but I’ve had a lot of family members that’s struggled with addiction. It’s nice to have someone be able to come together, and come together from different communities; Caledonia, Vernon. It doesn’t matter,”said Bragg.

Jacobs says the funds from Saturday’s event will be put to use immediately.

” We purchase bibles for anyone who may need one that’s incarcerated. We try and help some of the ladies that come out of incarceration, that are trying to get back to their community and become successful again, and sometimes get their children back,”said Jacobs.

Jacobs says though this is the first “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” event, they hope it will become an annual one.

” I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out. I am blown away, especially since we had so many things that were taking place. My heart is full my cup runs over,”said Jacobs.

The Columbus Carpenter for Christ raised more than a thousand dollars.