Nancy N., 38, had lost her sense of self, her job and was evicted from her apartment, and thanks God for every moment.
“I feel blessed to be an alcoholic,” she said Monday at the Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women’s open house. “I get to learn how to deal with life on a daily basis.”
Nancy, who was among the first group of women to enter the facility on June 30, gave her testimony Monday in a more private setting, but was accompanied by Stacy, a fellow self-proclaimed addict who gave her testimony in front of a packed house with standing room only.
First lady Jane Beshear was the guest of honor Monday and was proud to say that Kentucky’s Recovery Kentucky Task Force and the facilities it has brought to the state are being looked at as a model throughout the nation.
The recovery program used at Liberty Place is the same 12-step program as used by Alcoholics Anonymous and has given Nancy N. a new way of processing the trials she encounters in life. She spent years addicted to alcohol and other drugs.
“The first two (steps) are based on admitting you have a problem and getting right with God or a higher power,” she said. “It’s not a religious program. It’s a spiritual program. (The steps) help you get right with yourself and face the problems you have in life, things you’ve done wrong. As for myself, I carry a lot of guilt and remorse and it allows you to rid yourself of that.”
There were 12 women who entered the Liberty Place Recovery Center on June 30, and only six of the original group remain, she said.
“There are several (former residents) who have succumbed to the disease,” Nancy said. “Some have left and came back within the next day or two, and we feel really blessed to have them back.”
Stacy spoke about the first day she arrived at the facility.
“When I walked through the doors here, I’ll never forget the way the doors sounded when they closed shut,” she said. “I’ve never been to jail, but I thought that was the closest thing. I was terrified. I walked in the door and there were all these smiling faces, and I couldn’t understand that. I thought, ‘What in the world is going on here?’”
Being spiritually, financially and emotionally bankrupt, Stacy had to start from rock bottom.
“I had stolen, lied, cheated, every possible thing you could imagine, and I’m very surprised that I’m standing up here doing this today,” she said. “I’m just extremely grateful to be here and feel I have a lot of very close sisters who are helping me get through this on a daily basis.”
Kentucky often has been highlighted as a state with a large drug and alcohol problem, and Beshear shared some interesting facts during her remarks Monday.
“There are statistics that say that about 45 percent of people in the Appalachian region who are seeking treatment primarily for alcohol abuse,” she said. “That’s compared to 22 percent nationwide. What it says to me is that a program like Recovery (Kentucky) is so very important.”
Gov. Steve Beshear established the Recovery Kentucky Task Force on March 22. The 21-member task force is lead by his wife and Don Ball, a member of the Kentucky Housing Corporation board of directors.
“The Recovery Kentucky program is the result of the hard work of many different people and organizations,” said Richard L. McQuady, interim chief executive officer of the Kentucky Housing Corporation that assisted in providing development funds along with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and the Housing Equity Fund of Kentucky.
“We appreciate all of the partners who participated in making this center a reality, which will help countless Kentuckians lead more productive lives,” he said.
Operating funds for the $4,620,000 project were provided by the Kentucky Department for Local Government, Kentucky Department of Corrections and the City of Richmond’s Project-Based Section 8 Housing.
The 29,891-square-foot facility at 218 Lake St. can meet the needs of up to 100 women at a time.
“There are some bright, beautiful people who just needed a break,” said Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson. “Now, they’re getting that break and are going to go back out and be leaders.”
The women have potential to re-enter society and be successful, no matter what their background includes, said Vicki Jozefowicz, executive director of the Kentucky River Foothills Development Council.
“We’ve always said that substance abuse is not about bad people becoming good,” Jozefowicz said. “It’s about sick people becoming well.”
For more information about Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women, go to www.foothillscap.org.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
Local News
Women open hearts at open house
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‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.
Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).
Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
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Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year. -
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Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report. -
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Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
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Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
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A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
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Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
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