Sam Contoleon never imagined that her experiences with addiction could be used to help others.
Samantha Contoleon, a LifePath Christian Ministries Women’s Shelter Case Manager, discovered narcotics at age 18 while recovering from surgery.
Trying to numb the effects of a childhood trauma and fill a void she felt in her life, Sam was sucked deeper and deeper into addiction.
“I never talked about it. I just held it in,” she says. “I was very angry at God.”
Guiding others through their journey
The hurt that once filled her heart now overflows with a love and compassion that Sam found through her faith. She didn’t know it at the time, but what was missing from her life was a relationship with Jesus Christ.
“The only thing that freed me of that was God, when I fully surrendered and let Him into my life and followed the Holy Spirit.”
Her journey is not so different from the guests she serves at LifePath Christian Ministries. Today, she helps women who have sometimes experienced similar challenges. She can relate to their story and show them the hope that waits for them.
While Sam came to LifePath as a Guest Service Specialist in 2020, the mission’s leadership recognized that her journey of recovery, as it is for so many, is never really over. Sam leads a Life Recovery group for women struggling with addiction, but she found support and accountability for her own path, too. In 2021, she took on the role of Case Manager.
“I just felt led to this ministry,” she says. “I couldn’t believe there was a position where I could tell people about the Lord and openly tell people about what I love.”
A mission to serve
Sam’s life is far different than what it was those many years ago when she was lost and feeling hopeless. Now, she is a testament to what a life transformed can look like — and she has found a career that allows her to serve others with the compassion and grace she also once received.
LifePath gave her an opportunity to create a career path where she could use her experience to help others, and that’s a job she loves walking into each day.
“I love seeing God transform these women,” she says. “It makes me extremely grateful.”
A career awaits
LifePath Christian Ministries is hiring. Join our compassionate team of Christians called to love, honor, and serve the people who come to us for help. Learn how to apply here.
Sam’s favorite verses
“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT
“No one is given a pass when it comes to temptation, but we are given a way of escape through God’s word. God understands our weaknesses and temptations. Often, we confuse temptation with sin, but being tempted alone is not a sin! We sin when we give in to our temptation. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.’” Matthew 6:13 NLT.
