Amanda Williams, a talented softball player from Pamlico County, North Carolina, faced a 20-year battle with drug addiction before finding hope and redemption.
It led to multiple arrests and a massive $750,000 prison bond. With faith, hard work, and support from the Hope Mission of Coastal Carolina, Amanda turned her life around.
Now, she inspires others, even as she faces a new prison sentence. Her journey, shared by Hope Mission, shows that anyone can overcome their past and build a brighter future.
Hope Mission of Coastal Carolina is a nonprofit in Carteret County. It helps people with food, shelter, financial aid, emotional support, mentoring, and counseling.
Their faith-based program played a key role in Amanda’s recovery. It gave her the tools to rebuild her life and help others.
Amanda Nicole McKenna Williams was born in 1985 in New Bern, North Carolina. Her parents, Kathy and Charles McKenna, raised her and her brother in Pamlico County.
They were a loving, Christian family who taught their kids to live with integrity and respect. Amanda was an active child.
She loved hunting with her dad and playing sports like softball, volleyball, and basketball. Softball was her favorite.
Amanda Williams-:
“I’m also a daddy’s girl. I used to go hunting with my dad. I played softball, volleyball, basketball—and both of my parents attended every practice and game.”
Via Facebook
In elementary and middle school, Amanda shone on the softball field. She played first base in school and recreational leagues.
Her Uncle Dennis Holton, a dedicated coach and Christian, helped her improve her skills. He coached her alongside his own daughters.
Amanda’s family supported her at every game. She went to Pamlico County High School, where she earned good grades and joined the Junior Beta Club in her ninth-grade year. Her future looked bright.
During Amanda’s Teenage Years, she struggled with Low Self-esteem as Things Began to change in her Life
At 12 or 13, she started drinking alcohol with friends, sneaking it from a friend’s dad or getting older kids to buy it. In eighth grade, a cruel letter from a friend deeply hurt her.
It criticized her looks and clothes, pushing her away from that group. In high school, Amanda found new friends who seemed kind but used drugs and alcohol.
Her addiction grew fast. She started with marijuana, then moved to cocaine, Xanax, Percocet, OxyContin, and later heroin and meth.
Her parents saw the changes. Amanda became secretive, and her grades dropped in her sophomore year.
Kathy found drugs in her room, but Amanda said they weren’t hers. Her parents tried tough love, like taking away her phone and driving privileges, but it didn’t help. They pulled her from high school and tried homeschooling.
Later, they enrolled her at Craven Community College to earn an adult high school diploma. But older students there introduced her to more drugs.
Kathy McKenna, Amanda’s mother, said:
“We didn’t know what was going on and we were very naïve. We began to play detective—as things did not make sense to us.”
Amanda’s arrests piled up, all tied to drugs. She went to jail and rehab multiple times, but drugs were easy to find, even in prison.
She faced charges like felony larceny and breaking and entering. She lost jobs when employers found her criminal record. Amanda manipulated her family, stealing jewelry and guns to fund her addiction.
For a year, she turned to prostitution to get money for drugs. Her parents bailed her out many times, even selling a prized 1966 Chevy Nova. Eventually, they realized they were enabling her and stopped.
Amanda’s life spiraled. She was in abusive relationships and lost a boyfriend to a heroin overdose.
After a close friend died from health issues, Amanda hit rock bottom. She thought about ending her life.
Four days later, she was arrested for drug possession with a $750,000 bond. It felt like the end.
Amanda said-:
“Life was over, and prison was forever.”
Everything changed on May 5, 2022. After 88 days in jail, Amanda was accepted into Hope Mission of Coastal Carolina’s Recovery Services program.
The Craven County Sheriff’s Department took her straight from prison to the program.
Unlike other rehabs, Hope Mission’s faith-based approach gave Amanda a sense of purpose. It focused on spiritual growth and accountability. She started to believe in herself again.
At Hope Mission, Amanda enrolled in college. She earned an Associate of Science Degree in Human Services at Carteret Community College with a 3.8 GPA.
In 2024, she graduated with honors and won the Outstanding Human Services Student Award.
She also took online courses at Gardner-Webb University’s College of Arts and Sciences for a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a focus on Pre-Counseling.
She will graduate on December 12, 2025.
Amanda has been Sober Since February 2022 and has achieved a great deal in her Recovery.
She became a North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist and Forensic Peer Support Specialist. She volunteered at Hope Mission, teaching classes, and completed a one-year internship.
Now, she is the Director of Women’s Recovery Services and Peer Recovery at Hope Mission.
Before that, she worked as a Peer Support Specialist at Hope Recovery Homes and as Outreach Team Lead at the Peer Recovery Center.
She earned certifications to lead programs like Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade, Refer, and Moral Reconation Therapy.
Amanda speaks at schools about the dangers of addiction. She shares her story at events like the 2024 Peers on the Beach Anti-Stigma Campaign.
Local news outlets, including WCTI, WITN, and Spectrum News One, have interviewed her.
She serves on the Carteret County Community Resource Council and as Vice President of the Havelock Pregnancy Resource Center’s Board of Directors, where she mentors women struggling with addiction and other challenges.
Amanda’s personal life is also thriving. On May 11, 2024, she married Matt Williams, who has been sober for three years and works as a Peer Support Specialist.
They gained full custody of Matt’s 9-year-old daughter, Hailey, whom Amanda proudly raises as her own.
They support Hailey in cheerleading with the Havelock Youth Rams, attending every practice and game.
Their family includes a black Labrador named Sadie. Amanda also regained her driver’s license after an 11-year hiatus and pays rent on time for her own home.
Pastor Gene McLendon of Hope Mission said,
Amanda is a remarkable example of growth in both her recovery and her walk with God. Her integrity, leadership, and accountability shine through as she faithfully guides other women in recovery.”
Via Facebook
Despite her success, Amanda faces a two-year prison sentence for past convictions.
The judge allowed her to finish her degree, but she must report to Raleigh prison on December 16, 2025.
This stems from her 2022 arrest, which resulted in a $750,000 bond that led to her recovery.
Amanda is meeting with Governor Josh Stein’s office this month, hoping for clemency. She wants to keep helping women avoid addiction and jail.
Amanda dreams of earning a clinical license and opening her own recovery residence for women. She wants to utilize therapy pets to aid in recovery.
In 10 years, at the age of 50, she hopes to see Hailey in college, firm in her faith.
Amanda plans to pursue a master’s degree or even a doctorate. Her story shows that addiction can affect anyone, no matter their background.
