My name is Kate Platte and I first became involved with Free On The Outside two and a half years ago. I spent my childhood in and out of juvenile hall and foster care. My addiction began at age 13 when I drank alcohol for the first time, and by age 21 I was homeless and addicted to crystal meth.
I didn’t know anything different than the lifestyle I was living. I moved to Portland and entered an inpatient rehab program on January 18, 2021. While in treatment, I heard about Pastor Mike Cross and Free On The Outside. I felt God calling me there, and moved into the Barlow House for couples and families on March 27, 2021. This decision changed the trajectory of my entire life.
There I found structure, support, and community.
Starting The Recovery Process with Free On The Outside
I began attending Free On The Outside’s Celebrate Recovery and church service regularly and found a family for the first time in my life. There’s nothing like sharing a meal and fellowship with people who love you exactly where you’re at. I was eventually offered a position as house manager and thrived in the leadership position. I found purpose in helping others, started building self-esteem, and learned many valuable life skills: budgeting, conflict resolution, crisis de-escalation, and communication – to name a few. These new skills empowered me to transition out of housing, into my own one-bedroom apartment.
Education, Employment and Celebration
In August of 2021, Free On The Outside hired me as their office manager. This job has brought me purpose – everything I have been through was for a reason. I get to use my lived experience to help others who may have lost hope. I am currently halfway through my undergraduate degree in criminal justice at PSU and plan to continue to law school after that. I feel that God is calling me to help create legislative change for people impacted by the justice system. In January 2023 I celebrated 2 years clean and I’m never looking back. Without the community at Free On The Outside, I don’t know where I would be today. I thank God every day for my new life, and for the work He is doing through this ministry. Every day, Kate is experiencing the Lord's guidance in restoring her from addiction.
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