by Michelle DeRusha
After three stints in prison and many years battling drug and alcohol addiction, LaTosha Bolton is grateful to be sober, employed as lead kitchen manager for the Omaha North, Neb., Corps and finally in a position where she can offer her own story as encouragement to others.
LaTosha grew up in “the projects” of south Omaha, shuttling between her parents’ home and her grandparent’s house in nearby Bellevue. She earned a cheerleading scholarship, but her dream to attend college was thwarted when she became pregnant shortly after graduation from high school.
After having a second baby, LaTosha became addicted to drugs and alcohol and ultimately landed in prison for attempted robbery. Although she was determined to set herself straight when she was released nine months later, drugs and drinking got the best of her again.
Not long after being released, the unimaginable happened: Bolton’s eight-year-old son was hit by a car and killed. Consumed by grief, she attempted suicide and sought escape through drugs and alcohol again. It wasn’t until she became pregnant with her fourth child that LaTosha finally committed to sobriety.
For the next 18 years, LaTosha’s life was stable. Her career at McDonald’s flourished, she and her husband welcomed a fifth child into the world, and her record stayed clean. But in 2015 her past caught up with her. LaTosha was incarcerated for a crime she’d committed 20 years prior, when she’d used Social Security income benefits for herself that were intended to support her daughter, who has a learning disability and was living with Bolton’s mother at the time.
Upon her release, LaTosha again committed to making a fresh start. She began volunteering every morning at the Omaha North Corps after finishing the night shift at McDonald’s. When a job in the corps’ kitchen became available, she applied and was hired. Five years later she is still grateful every day for the opportunity to contribute to her community.
“The Salvation Army gave me a chance,” she said. “I took so much over the years, but now I’m in a position that I can give wholeheartedly to my community.”
“Tosha is a really important part of our team,” said corps officer Lt. Ken Jones. “She’s not a ‘punch in and punch out’ kind of employee. Tosha has a great work ethic and is always looking for specific ways to improve. She is truly a blessing to us.”
Despite ongoing challenges, LaTosha’s faith keeps her strong and stable. “God has put me in the right place,” she said. “I really hope people who hear my story know that they can take a chance on themselves, because the past, no matter what’s happened, doesn’t define us. God has the last say. Every day I struggle, but at 54 years old, I’m finally getting it.”
