Finalist: Rising Up
A narrative picture story that reflects the everyday human experience, celebrates life, or chronicles a cultural trend. Respect for the dignity of the person is important.
Rising Up
Sarah Juliano was broke and had no place to go when she found herself on the island in the south end of Waterville, Maine. The 42-year-old mother had hit rock bottom. She relied on returned items and shoplifting to eat and feed her addiction. Her nightly trips into the local dumpsters yielded enough income to survive, barley. By the end of the fall of 2022, Juliano was done. The addiction to heroin, fentanyl and meth had reached a breaking point. “I really thought I was dying,” she said in an interview. “I was too sick to even move. I was just done. I was done with that life. It was the worse thing I’ve ever went through.”
Today, Juliano lives in a sober living home with other recovering addicts. She volunteers helping other addicts settle in to the new setting of sobriety while also finding power from her new church. She has been one year sober on January 2, 2024.
