St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
SERVING THOSE IN NEED SINCE 1853
May 2026
“Breaking the cycle”: Britney Smith is now a businesswoman
“I knew that we wanted more. We wanted to have a backyard and these other things,” Smith added. “The kids couldn't believe that they had their own space, their own room. It was a moment of, ‘Hey, I never thought that mom would be able to do this for us, but here we are.’” The Smiths are thankful for SVDP.
Like the sun behind the clouds, hope is often hidden behind hard seasons. Britney Smith grew up in a home without much hope, and it had been a battle to find it her whole life. “I was in a hopeless state of mind. I decided it’s my fate to die, that there’s no hope,” Smith said. Both of Smith’s parents were addicts, and her childhood cycle consisted of poverty and instability in rural southeastern Kentucky. “I had poor decision-making skills from just being raised in that type of environment,” Smith added. Smith, a mother of five, struggled with substance use from an early age. “I fell in the lifestyle quickly, and there was domestic violence and drug activity involved,” she said. “For me, I felt like my drug use was an escape from reality. I ended up homeless, without any of my children, and I kind of lost everything.” Smith “gave up on life.” She moved to Louisville about a decade ago for the resources to receive help. After regaining custody of one of her sons, they stayed in a local shelter for nine months. “I started attending a lot of 12-step (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings too— and I'd seen other people like me—and that started giving me hope,” Smith said. From 2019 to 2021, Smith lived in one of the permanent supportive housing
units on our Special Works Campus. She eventually regained custody of the rest of her children, who lived with her at SVDP. Smith was “overwhelmed with joy.” “I transitioned into St. Vincent de Paul, and at that moment, it was great,” Smith added. “I instantly remember feeling supported. They had things for us. My son had a playground, he had his own bed, he had his own room. We had a couch and a little TV that St. Vincent even supplied us with. And that's when I realized things were going to look up, because I hadn't had my own home in several years.” With the housing stability and support, Smith was able to focus on her future. “The stability allowed us to start focusing on our next goal and the next chapter in life,” she said. “I could start focusing on school, on other things that I wanted to do, and long-term goals.” Smith got her peer support specialist certification, and began working in the field. This month, she graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of the Cumberlands, and plans to pursue her Master’s degree.
“And we were so grateful. My kids still today will drive by. St. Vincent will always have a special place in our heart. They'll always remember the apartments, and it was truly like a hand up in a difficult time. I never looked at it like a handout.”
About four years ago, Smith founded Choose Hope, which is an organization that helps those struggling with addiction and mental health to reclaim their selfworth. She now uses her experiences to encourage others. Today, the sun is bright, and while the clouds may show up from time to time, Smith chooses to hold onto hope tightly. “When being at St. Vincent de Paul … it was truly an experience of breaking the cycle,” Smith said. “Now, I can give my kids structure, stability, and break the cycle that I was once in as a kid. I get to teach my kids different things that I didn't learn, and they get to teach their kids. It was truly an experience of breaking that cycle that I was in for my entire life that was passed down from generation to generation.” Smith’s three daughters and two sons are between the ages of 10 to 18 years old.
“As a single mom at the time, I don’t know that I could have made it anyway else … St. Vincent de Paul made it affordable,” Smith said. “I love what SVDP does ... I know it’s truly helping people.” In 2021, Smith took the next step in her journey towards self-sufficiency, paying off debt and purchasing her own home.
Smith’s children are pictured during their time in SVDP’s apartments from 2019-21.
“Had it not been for Britney, I would be stuck in the environment that I was in. She's played a pivotal role in the person that I am today.” -Liz Shavies, who was a former Choose Hope client and is now on its staff