Dr. Brenda Combs symbolizes inspiration and perseverance to all who meet her. A little over a decade ago, she was a homeless crack addict, a petty criminal, a gaunt and hopeless wreck who had been shot and beaten and raped during the endless years she called "a freeway underpass in the worst part of Phoenix home."

It took hitting rock bottom for Dr. Combs to find the strength to turn her life around on a blistering summer day.

Dr. Combs now spreads a message of hope wherever she goes. Her journey has not been an easy one, however. Growing up in a middle-class family in Northern Arizona, she fell into a bad crowd, began using drugs, and dropped out of school.

Her journey, which has been called "From Homeless to Hero" by local media, has received tremendous national coverage, including an article in Reader's Digest and interviews on The Today Show and CNN News. She has also appeared on radio talk shows across the country and has been invited to sing and share her message at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.