I am a growing believer in Christ, a proud mom, and a woman in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder and complex PTSD. Today, I use my lived experience to bring hope to others on their own healing journeys. I am a state-certified Peer Support Specialist and serve on the Ministry TEAM for Celebrate Recovery, where I am honored to walk alongside others seeking freedom and restoration.

I have been trained as a community doula and am working toward certification as a Peer Support Community Doula. I currently serve as a Peer Support Supervisor at the Lexington Courage Center and as an Adolescent Coach, supporting young people with compassion and understanding.

My heart is for serving others—meeting them exactly where they are, offering support, education, and encouragement. I choose to “recover out loud” so others never have to suffer in silence.

Survivor, Author and Subject Matter Expert, Heather Pounds Pagán is an over-comer who has used her past to build up her future. 
Heather was enslaved to a lifestyle of sexual exploitation, drugs, homelessness, abandonment, abuse, and hopelessness for 18+ years.

Heather has a passion to serve and to encourage others by her own personal story of being healed and delivered through the working power of Jesus Christ.  She has dedicated her life to impact those whom she is around, bringing them hope that they too can make a difference.

Heather started out as a Volunteer sharing from a survivor’s perspective along in education and awareness with Lighthouse for life from 2017-2019 and was hired full time July of 2019 to develop the survivor support program.

Heather sits as
•Survivor Advisory board chair for the State humantrafficking task force at the SC Attorney General’s office.
•Survivor advisory board Cry Freedom Missions and True Justice international in NC.
•Heather is a Lived Experience Expert Site Assessor with Safe house Project
•She is involved in the ATIP (Anti-Trafficking In Persons) Legislative Roundtable for Federal and State Legislation in Washington DC
•She is a Facilitator of Rachel Thomas’ Ending the Game for those who have gotten out of the life, The Cool Aunt Series Curriculum for at Risk Youth and •works across the United states with a Survivor Leader Networkings group called Survivor Led Solutions; helping provide evidence based solutions from a Survivors Perspective.

In 2008, Heather was sentenced to the South Carolina Department of Corrections where she served two years and was completely transformed. While incarcerated, Heather found that this time could be a time of hope for her; a time where she could begin to rebuild herself.
She began to submerge herself in bible studies, volunteer work at the chapel, and other life group related activities. This is where Heather started to build her hope in knowing that when she left the bars of SCDC, she would never have to return again. 
In 2010 when Heather was released, she began to get involved in her community by doing outreach work, service work in her area, speaking to youth and young adults about making good choices and empowering them to also make a difference in their own communities. 
Heather has a passion to serve and to encourage others by her own personal story of being healed and delivered through the working power of Jesus Christ.  She has dedicated her life to impact those whom she is around, bringing them hope that they too can make a difference.
Over the last 15 years Heather has been a keynote speaker for many organizations. In the past she has worked overseas in Europe with Human Trafficking in the Redlight districts and with refugees.
Heather has published her first book of a series of three, “Beyond the Bars, One woman’s Journey to True Freedom” and is currently working on book two. 
Heather story is featured in a Documentary “The Slave in your Backyard.” available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Tubi.
Heather has her John Maxwell Certification in leadership training,  she also participated in the Lexington County Citizens Academy.

Heather is married to Sam Pagán a man that was completely designed by God just for her as he helps her to know Good men DO exists!

Heather is employed by Lighthouse for Life, a local Human Trafficking organization as their “Survivor Support Director”

Tim Stewart is an author and public speaker. He is both a state and national certified Peer Support Specialist, who works to help others find their true passions as well. He loves to laugh and believes that God’s handprint can be seen everywhere in creation. His greatest desire is to use his writings and whatever God as given him to glorify his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His prayer for you is that God’s sunlight will blast through the emptiness in your life

Sam Pagàn is a Veteran of US Navy.
He is a Executive Chef and Baker of 45yrs.
Loves the culinary field and helping others to  cultivate their own expertise.
He loves Jesus and is always looking for an opportunity to share The Gospel.

He is married to Heather Pagàn and together they have 7  children and 3 dogs.

Hi, my name is Tiffanie, I am a person in long-term recovery. I went through 20 years of addiction of hard drugs, the last six I ended up selling drugs to support my own habit which turned into supplying a whole county and moving big weight. I ended up being federally indicted September 16, 2020, where I was blessed to spend 3 1/2 years in federal prison. I am now today five years and three months in recovery, I’ve been home for two years and it was the best experience I could go through because it is the best life today that I’m living. I am a peer support coach today, I am an inspector at a hotel, and I am in school to become an addiction counselor. I also am a part of the Recovery Rides movement, an amazing group of believers and people that want to provide the opportunity of help because I believe that had there been this opportunity before I went to prison and it got this deep in it. Maybe I would’ve gotten the help that I needed. Because not only is the transportation provided, but an understanding, listening ear is what we are with resources in motion. 💪🏼Because there was a time when I had no vehicle and I was homeless in the streets and I didn’t see a light for me because there was no one with a handout to help me. I am here today with the motto that there is no fail this time, because every day is one day at a time for us. I pray and hope for everybody to get to this side and it’s just something that I live, eat,breathe because to be in those shoes is to know and to get to this side is what I wanna share.cription

Hello, my name is Dawn. I serve as a Peer Support Specialist and Recovery Rides driver at FBLEX, as well as a Counselor in the after-school program. I am also a leader with the Celebrate Recovery ministry. I truly believe God has placed me in each of these roles for a purpose. Through these amazing programs at the church, I have seen how helping others brings healing, hope, and growth—not only to those I serve, but to me as well. Walking alongside people in their recovery and daily struggles is not just what I do; it is what God has called me to do. I have a deep love for loving on others and pointing them toward hope in Christ. It is my prayer that everything I do reflects His grace, compassion, and faithfulness. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

— Galatians 6:2 (ESV)