Patricia Murray is a woman who has been through quite a lot in life, and her story is now inspiring others to realize that they can come back from absolutely anything if they put their minds to it.

For many years, Patricia was homeless living on the streets of Washington D.C.

“When you’re in the streets, a lot of things happen,” she said. “I’m talking about drugs, alcohol and all that. And I got into some trouble. I went before a judge who said ‘you got a problem.’ And I said, no I don’t, and he said, ‘I’m telling you, you got a problem!’ And he put me in treatment.”

After she left her treatment program, Patricia went to live in Hannah House, a residential facility for young women who find themselves pregnant, abused, or in other crisis situations. At this facility, she was taught a variety of skills, such as parenting, handling money, cleaning, and cooking so that she could get her life back on track.

It was while Patricia was at this shelter that she met Sister Carol, President of Providence Hospital, who was raising funds to keep Hannah House open. Sister Carol invited Patricia to help her with fundraising, and she asked her what she planned to do when she left the facility.

“I just want to work somewhere,” Patricia said at the time.

Sister Carol told Patricia that divine intervention would find her a place to work, and sure enough, it did when she got a job at Carroll Manor, the shelter’s nursing home and rehabilitation center. Patricia initially wanted to be a cook, but since there were no positions available at the time, she began by doing “whatever needed doing” and started working three and a half hours per day, making $5.25 an hour.

“I still have that paystub,” she said with pride. “I got it framed.”

Patricia thought about leaving since she was making such little money, but a friend warned her not to “leave before the miracle happens.”

“So I stayed, and continued to live in the shelter. They let me out early in the morning, and when I returned at night, dinner was already over,” Patricia recalled. “One of the supervisors at Carroll Manor knew I was missing meals and told me to eat something there. I’d stay and have dinner, and a fifth-floor resident, Mrs. Sutherland, would come down every evening to eat dinner and talk to me.”

“I told you there were people put in my path to help me get through … she was another one,” she continued. “She talked to me about all the people at Carroll Manor that touched her life everyday—the nurses, the cooks, the housekeepers—and encouraged me to stay, and keep moving forward. The visits went on and on and I’ve been here ever since.”

Patricia now works as a caregiver to the 250 senior citizens at the facility, and she absolutely loves her job!

“You have to have passion, you have to have heart to work here. The residents need it. They need someone to look out for them and care for them because their families aren’t here,” she said. “When I put on my uniform and head to work and when I get to that door, I say to myself, ‘you’re on vacation!’ So even when I get ready to retire, I’ll still come back as a volunteer.”

The Ceca Foundation just recognized Patricia for her hard work by giving her this year’s Caregiver Award.

“It was an awesome feeling … it took me back to where I started,” Patricia said of receiving the award. “And I kept thinking…you’ve come a long way to get to this point, and everyone is still rooting for you. I’ve been here 22 years, and 21 years clean, and that means a lot.”

Patricia is now hoping she can encourage other people living on the street to turn their lives around.

“I never thought I could do it. I always thought I was gonna die in an ally somewhere. Yup, I really did; but, I got clean, I got a job, I came here, and I’ve been here ever since,” she said. “People say, ‘Oh the residents love you and are here for you,’ and I’m here for them. But the truth is, they saved my life. Just coming here every day, being a part of their lives … saved me.”

Find out more about Patricia’s incredible story in the video below.