Nicolette entered Hope Harbor at 16-years-old. She was adopted by a married couple who then returned her to the foster care system when they divorced. Abused while in a foster home, her adoptive mother’s parents decided to adopt Nicolette and raise her in their home. But her self-esteem was broken and hurting, and she lashed out at her grandparents.

While at Hope Harbor, she was properly diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a spectrum social disorder. She got the counseling and education she needed, as well as time to heal within from her abandonment issues and abuse. After nine months, she was reunified with her adoptive grandparents. She has volunteered by speaking at multiple events, sharing her testimony of how Hope Harbor has impacted her life and has “been so blessed to have the opportunity to be in Hope Harbor.”

She says, “I don’t know what I would do or where I would be if Hope Harbor did not exist.”