From Addiction to Advocacy: How Cortney Candelaria Found Purpose

Cortney Candelaria

Once struggling with addiction and homelessness, Cortney Candelaria turned her life around through Thurston County’s Drug Court and support from the Strophy Foundation. Now a graduate, she’s paying it forward—mentoring others on their own path to recovery and stability.

The best teachers are often those who’ve faced real challenges and found their way through them. These kind souls understand struggle, success, and the importance of asking for help—and many are naturally drawn to mentoring others walking similar paths.

At the Strophy Foundation, graduates like Cortney Candelaria know firsthand what it takes to complete therapeutic court programs and rebuild their lives. Today, Candelaria helps others take their own one-step-at-a-time journeys toward recovery and stability.

A participant in Thurston County Drug Court, Candelaria graduated in November 2024. “I came into the program with very little understanding of how to be a productive member of the community,” she admits. “On top of getting out of treatment with a new baby and all the responsibilities of being in drug court, I had been on drugs most of my life, selling drugs, experiencing homelessness at times, and was unemployable.”

Like many graduates, Candelaria believes deeply in the Foundation’s mission. “Strophy is an important piece of the community because it lets people know that if you need help, they can help,” she says. “Instead of reverting back to old habits, reach out—they can help guide you and find the resources that best fit your needs.”

Participants quickly learn that life without addiction’s crutch can be tough. For Candelaria, working a minimum-wage job meant money was always tight. Even after getting her driver’s license reinstated for the first time in 16 years, she couldn’t afford the title fees on her first car. “I reached out to the [Strophy Foundation], explained my situation, and got the funding I needed so I could drive legally,” she recalls.

Funding and resources like these are among the Strophy Foundation’s greatest strengths. “A lot of participants come to the program after a long incarceration,” she explains, “and many face more jail time if they can’t meet the terms of their program. Foundations like Strophy help people overcome those financial barriers and burdens.”

Beyond financial support, Candelaria also received housing through the Foundation’s outreach. She currently lives in a home called Gratitude & Grace Sober Living, but finding that stability was a journey. Midway through her recovery, the women and children’s home where she was living closed its doors. With a one-year-old son and nowhere to go, she found herself on the brink of homelessness.

Unable to afford housing or qualify for traditional assistance, she turned to the Foundation again. “The Strophy Foundation helped fund this home that put a roof over another woman and her child in the program, myself and my son, as well as two other single women,” says Candelaria. “We’re all court participants working to better ourselves with rent that’s affordable.”

Since graduating, she has used her recovery to inspire others—most recently as a guest speaker at the Foundation’s annual Gala. Her message, then and now, is one of hope and perseverance. “Many people are afraid to take that first step because it means stepping into the unknown,” she says. “But with programs and foundations like Strophy, the transition isn’t scary—it’s warm, and filled with people who truly want to help.”

Giving graduates like Candelaria a platform to share their stories is vital to helping new participants succeed. A recent Fortune 500 study found that 97% of people in a mentoring relationship found it beneficial—on both sides—and 89% of mentees hope to mentor others in the future.

These numbers reflect what happens in therapeutic court programs as well: mentorship breaks generational cycles, builds empathy and accountability, and strengthens social connections. When the student becomes the teacher, whole communities benefit from the shared wisdom.

That’s the kind of ripple effect the Strophy Foundation strives for—a true win/win for everyone.