BONUS: From Abuse to Homelessness to Miss California: The Story of Christina Meredith

A few months ago, I met Christina Meredith. She’s a foster care activist, a mental health advocate, a national speaker, and officer in the United States Army. But before any of these things came to be, her story looked quite different. As a child, Christina Meredith was called “Laundry Girl, “Stupid,” and “Slut.”

Born into a large, dysfunctional family, Christina was singled-out by her controlling mother and forced to endure years of physical and psychological abuse, not to mention the repeated sexual abuse by her uncle for nearly four years. She spent many days without food to eat until she entered foster care as a teenager.

But after aging out of the foster care system, with nowhere to turn, Christina lived in her car, using public beach showers and working three jobs, just to survive. Within a few years, though, Christina’s life transformed beyond her wildest hopes. And after months of hard work, the world recognized her by her true name as she was crowned Miss California. She went on to create the Christina Meredith Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports foster care girls living in abusive situations. So how did Christina go from abuse to homelessness to Miss California?

Well that’s the story we’re going to hear right now.

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Growing up, she rarely heard her own name. Today, she’s here to help you claim the inherent worth that is yours. Born into a large working-class family in upstate New York, Christina Meredith endured years of abuse before entering the foster care system as a teenager. With nowhere to turn after she graduated from high school, Christina lived in her car for almost a year, working three jobs to survive. As she prayed in her car every day, Christina had no idea that in just a few years, she would be crowned Ms. California. She had no idea that her suffering would one day help others find healing. But she did know that she was destined for more, and she would not give up hope no matter the circumstance.

In CinderGirl, Christina tells her piercing and poignant story of leaving behind homelessness to become Ms. California and the founder of a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy for foster care children. With stunning vulnerability, Christina invites us into her childhood home and the heart of a child longing to be loved. She asks us to journey with her across the country and deep into a growing faith. She invites us to dig deeper into our own personal courage, even in the grimmest of conditions. CinderGirl is the riveting story of one young woman’s determination to overcome hardship in order to help others know they are not alone and that they too can achieve anything they dream. Buy CinderGirl: My Journey Out of the Ashes to a Life of Hope now.

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What Listeners Are Saying…

“So great to find a podcast that is both encouraging and challenging! It is professionally produced, yet still has an informal feel like I’m hanging out with Chris… And frankly, I’d love to hang out with him! I really appreciate his heart and have been able to apply many of his topics in my life to help me grow professionally, physically, and relationally. A+!”