A formerly incarcerated woman opened her own food truck to the public Saturday and is hoping to use her own journey to save others from going down a dark path.

Aethena Striplin says she has been in and out of jail her whole life. The Bronx native says a rough upbringing turned her to the streets, but she loved cooking ever since she was a child.

"As therapy for me, when I was incarcerated, I would just cook to get my mind off of being incarcerated and being in jail," she says.

Through hard work and dedication, she's now opened her own food truck— but she hasn't forgotten about others.

Striplin says she keeps in touch with the women she was in jail with. While they all did their time and are home now, she says many are unable to get second chances at jobs because of their criminal history.

"I feel, why not give my peers a chance? A lot of us, this is what we did when we was incarcerated. It got us through our time," she says.

Striplin's truck is meant to be a savior to those with a similar background and she hopes to turn their lives around and be an inspiration for young women.