A decade ago, Roanoke leaders took a chance on a new way of helping people with addiction. Today, the Hope Initiative serves nearly 1,000 people a year.

Just before going into jail for the last time, Cynthia Haley snapped a picture of herself.

At the time, she was living in Danville and struggling with addiction. Her substance use had evolved over the years, starting with marijuana in high school and eventually progressing into heroin, meth and crack cocaine, Haley said.

The photo is nearly seven years old now. She had the same blonde hair, but she was noticeably thinner than she is today. Soon after taking the picture, Haley began a 10-month sentence in jail. When she was released, she was finally ready to seek help for her drug addiction…

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