Woman offers a lifeline she once needed herself to those on streets

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York -- CaraMia Bacchiochi founded Hope On A Mission after overcoming her own struggles with homelessness and addiction.

A passion project for her, Hope On A Mission has been serving men and women on the streets of Poughkeepsie for nearly a decade.

As she put it, Hope On A Mission is the result of a journey to "become the woman I needed when I was homeless and addicted."

The street ministry works to restore dignity for victims of addiction and people struggling with homelessness.

According to the organization's founder who won her battle with homelessness and addiction, "there wasn't anything like this when I was going through this. It's sad because we all have access to a better life, maybe we just don't know it."

Bacchiochi notes that she has found her own purpose along the way. "I found sobriety, retained a relationship with my children, and now I understand why I had to go through what I went through to be here today. And I have the opportunity to pour into my life's purpose every day."