Joaquin "Ken" Delgado hails from the beautiful island of Guam. He spent 15 years working at the Navy shipyard as a marine machine mechanic. Unfortunately, he experienced some setbacks along the way and was incarcerated for a period of time. Upon his release, he recognized the need for change in his life and entered ABHS for drug abuse treatment. Per court order, he successfully graduated from ABHS and completed an intensive outpatient program in March of 2022. 

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Since then, Ken has dedicated himself to helping others who struggle with addiction. He currently serves as a peer recovery coach at Peer Kent and as a group facilitator. Additionally, he works as a Peer Services Specialist in the Renton Municipal Court, providing support and guidance to those navigating the legal system while in recovery. Ken is committed to using his experiences to help others on their journey toward healing and overcoming addiction.

COMING SOON

Loveada was born in Oakland, California, and lost both her parents by the age of 7 years old. She was then in the foster care and group home systems until age 14, when she met the director of one of the group homes she was in and was taken in by her. Loveada was in and out of the mental hospital 14 times for mental health needs and started using weed and meth to numb all the pain she had from the years of abuse she had suffered in her youth. She had no idea how to cope and started learning some tools for her mental health that helped. Loveada was in her addiction until the age of 36 and went into a program called Hope Place through the Union Gospel Mission here in the beautiful state of Washington. There, she learned how to deal with her mental health and addiction. Loveada is now almost 13 years clean and free from addiction and has worked at treatment centers and other non-profits since being in Hope Place. Loveada is very happy to be able to share her story with others to help them through this beautiful, messy process of recovery.

Duante Barnett was born and raised in the Seattle area. He graduated high school from Highline High School and has an AAS degree from Highline College with a BAS and Master's degrees from Central Washington University.  

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He grew up in programs at Union Gospel Mission and Mary's Place. When his mother passed, Mary's place threw a funeral for all her volunteer work and giving back to the community. Duante experienced homelessness as an adult when he separated from his family in 2018.

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Duante has work experience as a banker, salesman, IT teacher, referee, sports analyst, stagehand, and many other occupations. He currently runs his own production company and performs comedy throughout the West Coast. His working experience, sense of humor, and organizational skills will have you focused and in a good mood about finding your new career path. 

Levander was born in King County and was raised in Tacoma in the Hilltop neighborhood. He is a first-generation high school and university graduate. After a series of events leading to huge life changes, Levander began asking how he could make a difference in the world. Especially the new and bright world he entered when he started his recovery journey.

Lavender's vision is to hold hope for others seeking recovery. He values the diversity of recovery paths, as there are as many out there as there are people. Levander is an active member of his community and regularly volunteers in LGBTQ+ and crisis intervention spaces. He continually learns from and cares for others from a trauma and intersectionality-informed viewpoint.

As far as fun, Levander is devoted to his crafts. He enjoys bookbinding, decoupage, reading, crocheting, and anything multi-media. He considers himself a poet and a romantic above all else.

Jill is a natural-born Washingtonian who enjoys the outdoors. As a youngling, she enjoyed the outside so much that she joined in any sport she could. But she struggled secretly with mental illness; making friends with others was difficult. In school, she was severely bullied to the point of trying to commit suicide several times up into her adulthood. It was always difficult for her family members to recognize the subtle signs. As a teen, she was wild, experienced homelessness, did many hard drugs, and partied.

As Jill aged into young adulthood, her mental illness didn't get any better because she was in an abusive relationship with two young children. She was not doing many drugs at this time, if any at all because she was always afraid of CPS and losing her children. In her mid-twenties, she got rid of her abusive boyfriend. Jill did many years in restaurant service, but the extreme environment was a challenge, especially with little support. After a while, she learned about peer support and knew she would do well in that area because she had to deal with most problems alone and always had to advocate for herself. She loves helping others and finds seeing others succeed in life is one of the greatest passions in the world. She went to class for CPC and volunteered her time to learn the ropes. Jill is happy-go-lucky and enjoys life to the max nowadays!

Anthony was born and raised in Dallas, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of North Texas. He struggled with mental health during his studies and became addicted to drugs and alcohol to avoid the trauma and abuse he endured for years as a child. His struggle with addiction led to him losing various jobs, living in his car, and eventually his arrest. Being incarcerated forced him to think about his decisions and allowed him to take advantage of all the resources that were offered to him. After his release, he started mental health counseling, moved to a transition home, and attended support groups where he found a sense of community and purpose.

Anthony is committed to serving others in recovery and being the person he needed when he was younger. Outside of peer work, you can catch him reading a book, jogging, or spending time with his friends. 

Beth was born in Pryor, OK, and lived in Oklahoma most of her life. When she was 30, she got an opportunity to move to Washington and did the drive of her life. From age 15, she struggled with bipolar, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. She also felt that she didn’t fit in unless she was drunk or high. It wasn’t until years later, after moving to Washington, that Beth discovered AA and NA, and she finally found a group of people who understood her and accepted her the way she deserved. Now a Coaching Lead for Peer Kent, she brings her experience and hope to assist others.

Donielle was born in WA and raised in a small town. With trauma starting at a very early age, as well as having mental health barriers, she turned to substance use to numb herself. Donielle has many lived experiences she has overcome, such as mental health, SUDs, homelessness, and physical health barriers. She has walked so many walks of life and seen and been through all different types of personal trauma and the trauma to those she loves most. Her brother Michael was also looking for support, but he wasn't ready. Donielle lost her brother to an overdose, and it has driven her passion that much more to support one another on our journey through life.

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Donielle has been a grateful recovering addict since 2018; she lives in recovery from addiction and is able to manage her mental health with support and tools. She believes in many different pathways to recovery, valuing inclusiveness, safety, diversity, trust, and a non-judgmental approach. She is a recovery coach, a group facilitator, and is on her way to becoming a Certified Peer Counselor. 

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Donielle has two beautiful grown daughters who are her world. She continues to grow, learn, and heal for herself and them. She loves her dogs, the outdoors, camping, and target shooting; she enjoys making dream catchers, diamond art, and beading. Donielle loves people and has always had a passion for supporting individuals from all walks of life. She believes with the proper support, resources, and tools, we can all have a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life.