About Little Light of Mine
Hope • Support • Direction
Little Light of Mine was created from a simple belief: sometimes a person does not need someone to take over their journey, they need someone willing to walk beside them while they find their way forward.
Our mission is to provide compassionate, individualized, non-clinical support to individuals and families navigating recovery, behavioral health resources, employment, community systems, life transitions, and the many challenges that can come with rebuilding a life.
The Heart Behind Little Light of Mine
My name is Shawna, and Little Light of Mine is deeply connected to my own journey of recovery, survival, rebuilding, and service.
My sobriety date is September 10, 2021, and on September 10, 2026, I will celebrate five years of sobriety.
Recovery changed far more than one area of my life. It gave me the opportunity to rebuild my relationships, strengthen my mental and emotional wellness, return to my community, pursue education and professional development, become more present as a mother, and turn difficult life experiences into a purpose centered around helping others.
Service to others has become one of the most important parts of how I continue to live my recovery.
I believe that when we use what we have learned to help someone else find hope, resources, stability, or direction, our experiences can become something greater than what originally happened to us.
From Survival to Service
My story includes experiences that many of the individuals and families I serve may understand personally.
I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, homelessness, and childhood sexual exploitation and trafficking.
I have also experienced significant mental health challenges and understand what it means to work toward stability, wellness, and the ability to participate fully in family, work, education, and community life again.
I am also a mother.
These experiences do not define all of who I am, but they have shaped the compassion, patience, understanding, and determination I bring to this work.
I know what it feels like when life becomes overwhelming.
I also know what it feels like to begin rebuilding.
Recovery Is More Than Sobriety
Recovery can involve much more than stopping the use of substances.
For many people, rebuilding may also mean:
* Learning how to trust again
* Rebuilding family relationships
* Finding stable employment
* Navigating community resources
* Addressing financial responsibilities
* Developing healthier routines
* Learning how to advocate for yourself
* Reconnecting with healthcare and behavioral health resources
* Establishing independence
* Building confidence and self-worth
* Finding safe and supportive people
* Learning how to participate in everyday life again
There is no single path that works for everyone.
That belief is at the foundation of Little Light of Mine.
Lived Experience Meets Professional Support
My lived experience allows me to connect with individuals from a place of genuine understanding, while my professional training allows me to provide structured, ethical, resource-focused support.
My credentials include:
Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS)
Certified Community Health Worker – CHW-1
QBA
I am also currently pursuing my Associate degree in Social Work, with the long-term goal of continuing my education toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). My education is an important part of my commitment to continued growth, ethical practice, and providing stronger support to the individuals and families I serve.
My professional experience includes peer recovery support, behavioral health support, community resource navigation, client advocacy, employment readiness, life-skills support, and helping individuals connect with resources that can strengthen their stability and independence.
Little Light of Mine does not tell people how they should live their lives.
Instead, we help individuals identify their own goals, understand their options, connect with appropriate resources, develop practical skills, and determine realistic next steps.
Why “Little Light of Mine”?
Sometimes a person does not need someone to illuminate the entire road ahead.
Sometimes they just need enough light to see the next step.
That is what Little Light of Mine represents.
Hope when circumstances feel uncertain.
Support when the journey feels difficult.
Direction when someone is unsure where to turn next.
We believe every individual deserves to be treated with dignity, listened to without judgment, and supported as they work toward the life they want for themselves.
My Journey in Two Photographs
The photographs on this page represent two very different moments in my life.
My First 10 Days Sober
The first photograph was taken during the earliest days of my recovery — a time when I was only beginning to discover what rebuilding my life could look like.
Today — Recovery, Growth & Purpose
The second photograph represents where that journey has taken me today.
The distance between those two photographs was not traveled in one giant step.
It was built through thousands of smaller ones — choosing recovery, accepting support, learning, growing, serving others, continuing when life became difficult, and believing that another life was possible.
Today, those experiences help fuel the work behind Little Light of Mine.
You Are More Than Where You Started
Where you are today does not have to determine where your story ends.
Whether you are beginning recovery, rebuilding after treatment, searching for employment, trying to navigate community resources, supporting someone you love, or simply trying to determine your next step, you deserve support that recognizes you as a whole person.
At Little Light of Mine, we are here to help you find that next step.
Hope • Support • Direction
Little Light of Mine is an independently owned and operated Nevada licensed business providing non-clinical support, peer recovery support services, community health worker services, resource navigation, employment support, and community-based services. Little Light of Mine does not provide emergency, medical, psychiatric, therapeutic, detox, or other clinical treatment services.
