Success Stories

Billie D.

Billie can still remember a Thursday morning at 5:00, when a kind lady from the Detroit Health Department’s Herman Kiefer Center suggested she come to New Life Home. The week before, Billie had received her income tax refund check and went straight to the corner store, where she bought enough drugs to get high for a week. She was tired, and her husband asked her if she wanted to get treatment. She admitted she wanted to live better and handle situations without getting high. Her 60-day stay at New Life taught her how to look at the whole picture, express her feelings and communicate without the use of drugs. When she was an adolescent she felt that her mother didn’t love her and treated her differently. With the help of AA, group meetings and one-to-one sessions with a counselor, Billie is learning to handle life one day at a time. Her challenges are productivity and consistency. She is trying to become a more productive member of society and deal with life on its own terms. If she’s not vigilant, the low self esteem left over from her adolescence can creep up on her. Fortunately, Billie’s husband has stood by her. She describes their marriage as better now, even beautiful. They communicate more and solve problems together. They have learned to enjoy the simple things in life like staying at home to watch a movie — just taking it easy.

Cassandra K.

Cassandra came to New Life for an eight-month stay after being on crack cocaine for 15 years. “I thought I was facing some misdemeanor charges,” she says. “It turned out they were felonies. I was sentenced to eight months of jail time and probation for two years with the executive director of New Life as my probation officer.” She spent two years in New Life Transitions, learning to live clean. “I learned how to get through all sorts of situations and still be clean,” she says. “When I heard that I was sentenced to eight months in jail, my first thought was to go out and get some crack. But I came back to New Life for four more months.” Cassandra still faced challenges in recovery. She had been a nurse for 26 years but lost her nursing license after being clean for 2½ years. She now works as a house manager/supervisor at New Life. “I want to give back,” she says. Her nursing license now restored, she does nursing at a major hospital a couple days a week. She attends at least 12 NA or AA meetings each month, which is part of her keeping her nursing license with the state.

Costella H.

Using crack cocaine after her parents died cost Costella her job as a legal secretary, her house, the respect of her family — and her hope for the future. “My daughter begged me to seek treatment and finally told me that if I didn’t go into treatment, she would kill herself,” she says. When she arrived at New Life Home, she could see that people were trying to help her. She stayed at New Life Home for 11 months. “New Life provided the structure to follow if you want to give yourself a chance,” she says. “I had never followed directions before, but I believe if you don’t follow them, you won’t make it. New Life gave me a new lease on life and I grabbed it.” Costella has been clean for more than three years and is now in college, where she has qualified for a scholarship and is on the Dean’s List. She attends AA and NA meetings and is active in her church. “I am grateful to be living like normal people,” she says. “I am happy today. I have a good relationship with my daughter and grandchildren. My relationship with my brothers and sisters has improved. I have their trust and respect again, and they no longer feel that the have to watch me.” Costella stays connected with New Life Home, which has helped her deal with the death of another family member without using. “I was so upset when my brother died that I drove to New Life Home,” she says. “I didn’t pick up. Death is a part of life. I know my brother wouldn’t want me to use again.”

Debra H.

Originally from Illinois, Debra came to New Life Home needing a chance at recovery and a place to live. New Life Home gave her that — and more. “I needed housing, and New Life Home helped me,” she says. “It saved my life.” While at New Life Home, Debra learned about mental illness and how to make good decisions. “I learned about structure in daily living — how to grow into the mature adult I should have been years ago,” she says. “I also learned how to have relationships with other women, to share feelings and to be feminine. It all taught me self-respect.” Debra later moved into New Life Home transitional housing and can see the benefits of that living arrangement. “I would recommend transitional to anyone in recovery,” she says. “It gave me experience paying bills, making decisions and planning daily activities. I’m also learning financial responsibility for others, as I’m paying child support.” She now has job as a certified nurse assistant at Henry Ford Health in Wyandotte and is looking forward to the future.

Debrah T.

Drug addiction had Debrah living on the streets when she was picked up by the police. The court system and Project Fresh Start, a local recovery initiative, got her to New Life Home. Her experience at New Life — group sessions, therapy with counselors and more — gave her the opportunity to grow. “I became the inventory person and chaired AA and NA meetings,” she says. Debrah now is living in New Life Home transitional housing and working at Subway. She’s going back to school for her GED at Ravendale Community Center, in Detroit, and has reunited with her family. Still supervised by the court, she undergoes regular drug testing. “I’m an addict, and I’m proud to say I’m an addict,” she says. “I don’t go to clubs or out on the streets. I go to after-care and meetings several times a week and do a daily inventory. “Before I came here, I though treatment was just a lock-down. I didn’t know there was this kind of help.”

Denise D.

In her first experience at New Life Home, Denise arrived intoxicated. When she returned a year later, she was motivated by the desire to rebuild relationships with her children. “To build those relationships, I took a different approach, specifically, practicing the AA principles in all my affairs, listening to the advice of my counselor and following house rules,” she says. “By doing so, I found myself in transitional housing for two years, ultimately making a life for myself.” She is now working toward completing a GED and becoming a recovery counselor. At New Life Home, Denise learned how to be honest with herself and the people around her. She took part in one-to-one counseling sessions and Alcoholics Anonymous and learned from New Life’s structure and rules. Later, transitional housing provided a place for her to rebuild her life, while remaining connected to the recovery process. While in recovery, she has faced the deaths of friend and family members without drinking or drugging. In spite of these challenges, she has been sober for seven years, been certified as a nursing assistant and has given back to family and friends when they have been hospitalized or needed child care. “I have found great reward and pleasure by giving back — and ultimately, peace of mind,” she says.

Denise H.

When Denise arrived at New Life, she was tired of getting high and drinking — and she knew that if she continued this behavior, it would lead to death. “At the time, I was living in a dirty, garbage-filled room,” she says. At New Life Home, she followed rules and did chores assigned by staff, which provided structure and responsibility. “By learning a sense of responsibility, it allowed me to set boundaries with family and friends,” she says. Her stay at New Life Home and recovery from drugs and alcohol have made it possible for her to live a normal life, happily married and employable. Her recovery also has helped her to deal with life’s challenges, including building intimate relationships, death of family and friends and employment-related issues. “Dealing with these emotions without relying on a drink or drug was difficult at times,” she says. “I’ve learned to use the tools of recovery — prayer, meditation, a regular schedule and taking care of myself — regular meals, exercise and rest. They have helped me to cope with life’s challenges, realizing a drink or a drug would not make things better.”

Geneva R.

After the birth of her daughter, Geneva had no place to go from the hospital. Because of her drug addition, the hospital found her to be an unfit mother, kept her daughter and recommended New Life Home. “My initial experience was anger, bitterness and guilt,” she says. “Living at New Life Home provided structure and the tools necessary to live a normal life, most notably a routine and healthy habits — regular meals and rest. After several months of living without drugs and alcohol and incorporating a healthy way of life into my day, I found the toxic feelings of anger and guilt disappeared. Ultimately, New Life Home taught me how to make the right decisions for myself.” Through New Life, Geneva has learned to live in today, not in the past. She has learned not have to react when she finds herself having toxic thinking, such as addictive or self-destructive behavior. And she has learned that she can’t do everything herself — she has to let go and let God.

Kathy W.

Kathy came to New Life Home for the first time after having been shot in the face and in a coma for two weeks at Sinai-Grace Hospital. She left before she completed the program. After three more years of drinking and using, she got shot again. She believes that God was showing her a turning point to change her ways, and she returned to New Life Home. She was still stubborn, and it took her six months to get the willingness to change. “Change is not easy to a drug-addicted person,” she says. Her peers at New Life were a great help in bringing about her transformation, she says. Kathy completed her program at New Life Home and moved into New Life Transitions, where she lived for two years, receiving additional services from New Life. She still calls New Life or her alumni sisters for support a couple of times a day. She has provided peer support and done a peer group for the women in treatment. Kathy has faced a loss of a job and family issues without using. She has since accepted a better-paying job performing inspections of car parts at an automotive supplier. She lives in a house with her daughter that is nearby those of both her son and mother. Today, she has a good relationship with her mother. Kathy believes New Life is a wonderful place with a warm heart. “Those with an addiction problem that come with an open mind and a willingness to change can receive help in overcoming their addiction at New Life Home,” she says. Kathy still has good days and bad days, but each day she doesn’t use drugs is a perfect day. She will have four years of clean time this summer.

Lavora N.

Lavora came to New Life Home in a state of despair and hopelessness. “I felt that if I didn’t get help, I couldn’t live another day,” she says. She soon found the help she needed, taking part in group sessions and therapy in anger management, domestic violence and grief and loss. She also took part in AA/NA meetings and, like all residents, did chores around the home. “The staff and all the group leaders helped me until I could help myself,” she says. “The staff were always available for things and were very supportive.” Now two years clean, Lavora still finds life full of challenges — and getting better. She’s living in transitional housing and is looking forward to getting her own apartment soon. Her mother has Alzheimer’s, and Lavora needs to take care to care of her. She’s confident she can handle it. She now works for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency in a program for Detroit teens and adolescents. She’s attending Henry Ford Community College to be a medical assistant and hopes to complete her studies in this spring. “Life is good,” she says. “I’ve been given a second chance.”

Lynette H.

Before Lynette came to New Life Home, she was smoking crack and drinking every day. She was living in a van with her boyfriend, and they would borrow, steal or do whatever was necessary to get money for drugs. At New Life, she learned structure in her life. So far, she has been clean for more than 4½ months. She has reunited with her family and wants to live a life without drugs. She lives with her daughters who are also addicts — which Lynette believes is a result of her own using. She is considering transitional housing to improve her environment. Lynette goes to both AA and NA. She goes to relapse prevention four days a week at Metropolitan Counseling in Detroit. She is a volunteer at her mother’s church, helping to feed the homeless every morning.

Natalie D.

Natalie started using drugs at age 15 and continued for nearly 15 years. Returning to Detroit after years of traveling around the country, she discovered her family ready to help her get clean. They looked for a six-month to year-long recovery program and found New Life Home. She had a seven-month stay at New Life Home and was in the transitional program for about two years after that. “It was a beautiful experience,” she says. “There were groups to share parenting and other life skills. It was very enlightening — it helped me face up to all the garbage I was holding on to.” This awareness has helped Natalie face the challenges in her recovery, especially in relationships. She has re-established relationships with her children and their father, who are happy to see her recovery. She now has job with Angels’ Place, an organization for developmentally challenged adults in Southfield. She attends several 12-step meetings each week. “Most of my friends are in recovery,” she says. “I try to stay in a recovery environment, and I can get help just by picking up the phone.” Natalie also knows how important it is to give something back. “I owe New Life a lot,” she says. “I know it saved my life. I want the doors to stay open. Treatment does make a difference.”

Patti G.

Patti came to New Life Home after spending 30 days at Sacred Heart for drug rehab. She needed a place to live and a job. “The rest is history,” she says. “I came to realize that I’m not unique, and that I didn’t have to do this by myself. I learned it’s OK to lean on someone else and it’s OK that I’ve done things. I’m not a bad person — I just made bad choices. At New Life, I found unconditional love. No matter what I did, people still loved me.” Like others at New Life Home, Patti went through an organized, structured program that taught relapse prevention and the first four steps of 12-step programs. She also took part in self-esteem groups and drama therapy at the home and at Wayne State University. “God put me where I needed to be when I needed it,” she says. “I learned how to work for balance, not perfection, in my life.” Patti continues to work at staying clean and sober, attending meetings and working with her sponsor. Since completing her treatment, she has done financial work for New Life Home and served as an intake counselor. She completed her associate’s degree in accounting at Henry Ford Community College and is studying accounting at Walsh College. She now works for the Detroit Bureau of Substance Abuse, processing bills for patients’ treatment providers. “New Life Home is part of my life now,” she says. “They’re my extended family.”

Ramonia W.

By the time she walked through the doors of New Life Home, Ramonia’s drinking and drugging had become unmanageable. She had been to other treatment facilities before, but in her more than 11 months at New Life, she learned new skills. “I learned not to compare and how to be open minded,” she says. “I learned coping skills and gratitude. I built a foundation. I learned to be honest in sharing what I was thinking and feeling. I learned that it is other people’s business what I am doing and thinking and how my disease is affecting me. “New Life had wonderful counselors and house managers that loved me. I didn’t like all the rules, but today I can appreciate them. I don’t regret a day that I stayed here.” After Ramonia completed New Life, she lived for a year in New Life Transitions. “I needed New Life Transitions as a place to live with other clean ladies,” she says. “We shared and identified issues of recovery and helped each other through them. I have been clean and sober for four years. Tough love, which I didn’t really like, is a major reason why I am still clean and sober.” Ramonia now works part time answering phones. Her older daughter is married and doing well; her younger daughter lives in an apartment with her. When she has issues, she calls New Life Home or some of its alumni or friends from AA or NA. “I am a better person and I love myself today,” she says. “I am living life on life’s terms. No matter what, using is not an option.”

Renise V.

When she came to New Life Home, Renise had been using drinking and using drugs for almost 30 years. She had no job and was unemployable, and her life was totally unmanageable. Renise had trouble giving up her old “street-ways” habits, so New Life put her on loss of all privileges for nine months. She was not allowed to watch TV, listen to the radio, use the telephone or visit her home but could read, write, go to AA and NA meetings and go to church. The patience and guidance of her New Life Home counselor and the staff taught her how to love herself. Through New Life she learned how to live again, without medicating herself with drugs or alcohol. After New Life, Renise received janitorial training through Jewish Vocational Services and is now employed in housekeeping at a local college. She has a strong family support network — a sister who has been clean for 17 years and two brothers who have been clean for 18 and 12 years. She goes to AA every week and NA once a month. Renise sees her grandchildren every week. She says she is never late to work and never late paying bills and that she goes to church every Sunday. She writes poetry in her spare time, including some about New Life Home.

Rosa Lee H.

After going through two previous treatment programs, Rosa Lee arrived jobless and homeless from Tallahassee, Fla. Despite her desire to be clean, she blew $800 on marijuana and alcohol in five days. The Detroit Health Department referred her to New Life Home, so she took the bus and arrived for help. Before she arrived at New Life, Rosa Lee broke every rule at and created new rules for herself. Her time at New Life Home showed her that all behavior has consequences and that she would have to stay clean to change her life. Once she got a taste of what other sober lives were like, she knew she could go from a drunk state to a success state. For Rosa Lee this meant education — getting her GED and going to college. Rosa Lee is currently enrolled in the culinary arts program at Oakland Community College. She is happy achieving her goals and has been clean for 3½ years. Staying sober is a conscious decision every day, and she relies on a network of people including a relapse prevention counselor, a therapist and the Alcoholics Anonymous group she attends three times a week.

Samantha D.

After Samantha was kicked out of Elmhurst Home for turning a trick, a friend referred her to New Life Home. They took her in on the spot. Samantha describes her nine months at New Life Home as “spiritual,” supported by the love and commitment of the staff. They cried with her, loved her and encouraged her. They provided the sense of comfort and safety that finally made it possible to deal with her rape, incest and abandonment issues. She credits New Life Home and the heavy schedule of counselors, group sessions and outside meetings with giving her a new life. Samantha must be careful not to isolate herself and continue to make her meetings. She must be real honest about the life of addiction as she knows people that have died from this kind of life. This helps drive her commitment to recovery. Samantha says the spiritual part of the program is its greatest joy. With this new inner peace, she can finally be the mother she always wanted. She is proud to finally be able to provide such things for her children as time, protection and material things.

Sonja M.

Sonja had had enough — she was tired of getting high, tired of living on the street in an abandoned building, tired of giving money to the local drug dealer. Looking for a facility that would house an individual longer than 90 days, she came to New Life Home. When she arrived at New Life, she thought she was just addicted to crack cocaine. After attending Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous five meetings a week, she began to realize that her addiction to alcohol also was a problem. Sonja stayed at New Life for about 13 months, and it took about four months before she began to feel comfortable there. “During that time, I kept to myself,” she says. “My defiance and lack of respect for authority resulted in loss of privileges, including use of radio, phone and television. Losing these privileges taught me how to respect things and others, ultimately myself.” By following a routine, rules and learning how to respect others, Sonja eventually moved to transitional housing with more freedom and flexibility. She found that her new way of — living without drugs and alcohol — has helped her feel better physically and emotionally and has given her a sense of pride in getting her life back.

Stephanie C.

Like many New Life Home clients, Stephanie found her way there through the court system and Project Fresh Start. This local initiative is a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Substance Abuse, Prevention, Treatment and Recovery; the Wayne County Sheriff's Office; the 36th District Drug Court; and other community-based organizations. Stephanie came to New Life Home stayed at for about nine months. She went to 12-step meetings and got a temporary sponsor, and she soon found that she had a lot to learn. “I was a big brat when I got here,” she says. “I would throw myself on the floor and scream if I didn’t get my way. I had to learn self-control and anger management.” Stephanie gained that knowledge and understanding through group sessions at New Life Home, led by staff facilitators. She also started learning about computers, which eventually led her to new opportunities. She did an internship at the Detroit Health Department’s Herman Kiefer center and last year got a full-time job with the Bureau of Substance Abuse / Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit. She now goes to three to five 12-step meetings a week and takes part in a weekly relapse prevention group. She’s proud of being clean for almost two years. “My job is centered around being drug-free,” she says.

Tiffany L.

A recent “graduate” of New Life Home, Tiffany had hit bottom with drugs and alcohol. Her mother helped her find her way to treatment. At New Life Home, Tiffany learned through groups such as relapse prevention and through counselors. “I learned about myself,” she says. “I lost privileges when I acted out, which helped me learn that there are consequences in life.” She soon will be moving out of transitional housing and back in with her mother, and she has a job in a local auto plant. She also attends 12-step meetings and takes part in after-care. “I stay connected through my sponsor, and I reach to others now,” she says. “I’ve gotten my relationship back with my family.”

Turea B.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol took Turea from her home to the streets more than 20 years ago. New Life Home is helping her find her way back. Turea spent nine months at New Life Home, where she took part in 12-step programs, group therapies and other structured activities. “I learned that a lot of other people have problems,” she says. “It helped me grow up.” Now living in the New Life Home transitional housing, Turea is getting her GED at the Ravendale Community Center, in Detroit, and is working at Subway. “This is my home,” she says.

Ulsula G.

After years of getting high and life on the streets, Ulsula came to New Life Home and immediately experienced a sense of relief. Through prayer and meditation, she found that the compulsion to drink and drug was slowly removed. “Living a life of drugs and alcohol for approximately 25 years, it was difficult to learn a new way of life,” she says. “However, while at New Life Home, I soon realized instant gratification was not healthy for me. As a result, I was open to listening to new ways of doing things, including accepting constructive criticism.” After about six months at New Life, Ulsula learned how to surrender, be honest and responsible. As part of her recovery process, she learned how to dress like a lady, have a conversation with others and become a healthy, contributing, employed person. She has faced challenges in recovery, such as learning how to live on life’s terms without medication and dealing with the past feelings of abandonment, rejection, sense of worthlessness, self-pity and lack of ambition. New Life Home has provided support and taught her coping skills. “At present, my life consists of regular exercise, diet, rest and employment,” she says. “In summary, my life is blessed.”

Zsamonique F.

When Zsamonique came to New Life Home, she had been using drugs and was, as she describes herself, “basically homeless.” At the time, her mother had about 13 years clean and had heard about New Life Home. She arranged for Zsamonique to be admitted. During her 6½ months at New Life Home, Zsamonique did a lot of learning — about toxic relationships, especially with family members, and how to trust other women. She bonded with the other women in the home, laughed with them and cried with them. “I understand now why I used and why I’m not using now,” she says. “When I became a group leader, that made it easier for me to follow rules and learn.” Life still hasn’t been easy for Zsamonique. Her car was stolen, and her daughter was in an accident, but she still didn’t use. “I could not believe I could handle so much stuff without using,” she says. “But I got through it — it’s just things to do.” Other things have changes for her as well. “I apply recovery to everything I do now,” she says. “I don’t wake up with a hangover. I pay my bills, I have a nicer place and I became a grandmother. My life is much better now, and I feel it’s going to get even better.”