Kentucky mom thrives after addiction, homelessness
A Bowling Green woman who was once homeless and pregnant has turned her life around. ‘I had to do that for my kids’
BY Aaron Dickens Spectrum News 1 Kentucky - PUBLISHED 5:00 AM ET Feb. 12, 2026
What You Need To Know
- Amber Grimes was once addicted and homeless, but now lives in an apartment and works a job while pursuing her GED
- She turned her life around through Goodwill’s Another Way program
- The program helps homeless people obtain a stable life
Amber Grimes knows a lot about trains after working long hours at the Historic Railpark and Train Museum.
But in years prior, her life was much different. Grimes was once homeless, living in the woods.
“I lived in a tent. I would dumpster dive to get by. It was rough, it was very rough,” Grimes said.“I lived in a tent. I would dumpster dive to get by. It was rough, it was very rough,” Grimes said.
While homeless, Grimes fell into addiction.
Madisyn Smith, a harm reduction health educator for the Barren River Health Department, said homeless people are more susceptible to substance use issues.
“It can take a toll on people’s mental health when they’re not sure where they will get their next meal, where they’re going to go sleep, these types of things are things that we don’t think about every day,” she said.
“It’s hard not being around people, not having what you need,” Grimes added.
It wasn’t until Grimes had gotten pregnant that she got clean and turned her life around.
“I didn’t have a choice. I had to do that for my kids,” Grimes said.
She partnered with Goodwill’s Another Way program, which helps people who are homeless obtain a stable life.
“Once they come through Another Way, we get them into the Goodwill Opportunity Center. Then they get a career coach, help build their resumes, put them in classes, and help find that special employer for that situation,” said Krisotpher York, an outreach specialist for Goodwill’s Another Way Program.
The program helped partner Grimes with the Kentucky Works Program. That led to a job placement at the Historic Railpark and Train Museum and to Grimes finishing her GED at Southern Kentucky Community Technical College.
“It had been seven years,” Grimes said. “I was so happy to be able to work and provide for myself and my family.”
“That is the reason that I do what I do. That is the reason I work for programs like these,” York said. “When you hear the success of people, it’s such a beautiful thing to see, because I try to be transparent. I was homeless at one point in my life. I was in addiction.”
From surviving to thriving, Goodwill’s Another Way Program gave Grimes stability and a fresh start for life.
