My name is Melissa Ragland, and I am the Director of R-Place Recovery and Restoration Center. More importantly, I am a recovered and restored woman who has personally experienced the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.
For nearly 20 years, I lived trapped in the cycle of addiction. It began at a very young age and was rooted in generations before me. Addiction became my normal way of life, and for years I searched for a way out. I tried jails, prison, rehabilitation programs, and even relying on my own strength to change, but nothing truly set me free.
About four years ago, I found myself at rock bottom — sitting in jail with a prison sentence ahead of me. In that moment, I realized I needed something different. That is when I entered a local faith-based, Christ-centered recovery program.
The Christ-centered part changed everything.
For the first time in my life, I discovered truth. I learned who Jesus Christ truly is and who He says I am. I found freedom from shame, guilt, addiction, and the pain of my past. Through Christ, I experienced healing, forgiveness, restoration, and purpose in a way I never thought possible.
During that year-long program, I also discovered the power of community. I was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about me and did not define me by my mistakes. They encouraged me, supported me, and helped me rebuild my life from the ground up. I learned how to live responsibly and independently. I learned how to get a job, keep a job, pay my bills, and live life without depending on chemicals to survive each day.
While I was still in the program, Valerie Seaton of Seaton Court Reporting gave me an opportunity that would help change the direction of my life. It was not just a job — it was the beginning of a career and a future I never believed I could have. Valerie saw potential in me that I could not yet see in myself.
Since December 2022, I have worked with Seaton Court Reporting, where I have continued to grow personally and professionally. Valerie encouraged me to pursue my dream of helping women who are struggling just like I once was. While working there, I became a Certified Peer Specialist for the State of Arkansas, and through the support of the company, I am now attending college to earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
Today, I am preparing myself in every possible way to help women overcome the things that have them bound. One of the greatest lessons I have learned on this journey is that real, lasting change happens through faith, support, and community. When people are given hope, encouragement, and an opportunity, lives can truly be transformed.
Four years ago, I did not even have a GED. Today, I am a college student, a leader, and living proof that God can restore what once seemed broken beyond repair.
At R-Place Recovery and Restoration Center, our mission is to walk alongside women as they begin their own journey toward healing and freedom. We believe no one is too far gone, no past is too broken, and no life is beyond restoration through Jesus Christ.
I do not stand here because of my own strength. If there is one thing I know, it is this: do not place your faith in me — place your faith in Him. God is the one who changes lives. I am simply a willing vessel dedicated to helping other women find the same hope, healing, and freedom that I found through Christ.
Today, I have the privilege of walking side by side with women every step of the way — guiding, supporting, encouraging, and reminding them that restoration is possible.
There is hope. There is freedom. There is restoration.
