Sisterhood of recovering addicts on a mission to help others in Marshall County
Amidst the growing drug epidemic in Indiana, a group of women in Plymouth are putting a positive spin on the drug crisis, and redefining the meaning of sisterhood.
"My rock bottom was a meth lab explosion. That moment turned my life around," says Dawn Braueneker.
"I was arrested in 2007 for manufacturing meth. I lost my kids and went to jail," adds Amanda Enyart.
Down the stairs and in the basement of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Plymouth, there's a room,
A room full of stories.
"I got arrested May 14, 2011 for neglect charges for my children, and an active meth lab," says Lacey Rex.
Stories that bond these women together.
Stories of their addictions, and of their journeys to sobriety.
"I got out [of jail] and had two choices. Change or keep doing what I was doing," explains Enyart. "Change was scary, But it's what I had to do."
Women Anchored in Hope is a group of recovering addicts, helping addicts.
A support system, rooted in religion, making an impact on Marshall County's growing drug problem.
Six years after Brauneker was involved in a meth lab explosion and turned her life around, she wants to raise awareness of how serious the problem really is.
"Addiction is a prevalent problem in Marshall County," says Brauneker, the Vice President of the group. "The truth of the matter is, drugs and addictions are in the subdivision. It's your neighbor. It's everywhere."
After struggling with alcoholism and an addiction to Xanax, Kathleen Davidson realized she wasn't the only one suffering.
"Most all women of addiction's stories unfortunately end in tragedy," says Davidson, the group's president. "Families suffer. Children suffer."
Davidson wanted that to change.
"My hope was to reach out to women, someday, and kind of make amends," she adds.
They help anyone who comes through those wooden doors, twice a month. It's an open door policy.
But they say, it's just not enough.
"There's currently no rehabs or recovery homes or halfway houses at all in Marshall County," says Brauneker. "And there's a desperate need for it."
A desperate need for a serious problem. A problem the group believes will change, if they can build "Hope Halls," which would be Marshall County's first women's recovery home.
"To have a safe place to go, and people who are going to be there to help teach them and guide them," says Enyart.
To give hope, and second chances, one woman at a time.
"Recovery happens," says Davidson. "We're all living proof of it. We're all successful people."
On April 29, Women Anchored in Hope will be holding a fundraiser to help fund Hope Halls. It will be from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the National Guard Armory in Plymouth.