MY LIFES JOURNEY: Recovering From Drug Addiction by Kari Baxter

Kari was born in Prince George, British Columbia, which sits on the traditional lands of the Lheidli – T’enneh First Nation, whose name means “people where the rivers come together” in the Carrier language.

After her birth, her family moved to live with her father’s First Nation Community of Tahltan in a remote area called Telegraph Creek. During this time her mother and father separated and from 10 – 15 years of age Kari was bounced back and forth between her parents, experiencing abuse and living in chaos most of the time.

At 15 years old, Kari moved to Vernon, a small city in the warmth of the Okanagan. It was here that she felt she was able to put down roots.

Kari is the mother of two children, a sweet little boy of five years old and a lovely little girl who is six. Kari realized that she had broken many promises to her children. The love for her children and wanting them to have a better life caused her to dig in and do the work to turn her life around. And that is precisely what this brave young woman did.

Kari has volunteered her time at Vision Quest, an organization that helped her get her life back. She is a resource for other young women struggling with addiction and getting their lives on track.

Kari will never forget the help she received and wants to give back by helping others. Kari works with Lookout Housing and Health Society. Lookout provides housing and a range of support services to adults with low or no income who have few housing or support options.

In her spare time, Kari enjoys date nights with her boyfriend. She loves the outdoors and the mountains and is an avid hiker.

What is most important to Kari is family. Every opportunity she gets to visit, she goes. Her family means the world to her.