We Do Recover

When I got released from jail back on 02/29/22, I knew that if I didn’t find somewhere to go, I was going to go back to what I knew (drugs)! I started going to meetings and ran into Lisa L. As she was speaking at the meeting, I went to her and she gave her story. I reached out to her, wanting more information about the Oxford House and she gave me the information I asked for. I still thought maybe I needed some kind of treatment center but also knew that my home town was a BIG issue for me as well. I then got accepted into Oxford house Crescent Hill In Columbia, SC, a few days after. So I moved to Columbia into the Oxford House and that specific location at the time didn’t work out for me so I moved to the Forest Acres house shortly after. I walked to my meetings every day, have done everything that was required of me by the Oxford House rules and I’ve been here a year now. ❤

Oxford House saved my life and helped me tremendously through this journey! I honestly don’t have a clue where I’d be today if I hadn’t found out about the Oxford house. It’s given me the structure that I needed; the accountability I needed; and it helped save my life! I love being active in the Oxford House chapter meetings, the unity events and. if I could rate Oxford House. It’s most certainly a 5 out of 5! I’m so thankful for ALL that it has done for me!!

Been in Oxford House a year and 2 months and am doing good.

After being arrested for DUI for the 3rd time and waking up in jail, I knew I needed help. My children were taken from me and I was at my rock bottom. I checked into detox in Greenville, S.C., broken and totally defeated from the disease of alcoholism. I had nowhere to go. I then went to a 30-day program in Orangeburg. It was there that I heard about Oxford House for the first time. I chose Columbia S.C. and was accepted into Elmwood Park Oxford House. I was able to recover in a safe place and be guided by other women who had been in my shoes. I started working the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and putting in the work to be sober and healthy. All the while I was being supported and held accountable by people in my community. After 6 months I was able to move my youngest daughter, Hazel, into Oxford House with me. We grew and thrived together. I became chapter chair and continued to work my program. After 2 years and 4 months in Oxford, I was able to move out and get my own place and also get my 12-year-old daughter back. I truly believe Oxford saved my life. I was able to work on myself without fear. I will be grateful for that for the rest of my life. Now I’m a functioning member of society, a good mom, a reliable employee and I’m at peace. Now I can carry the message. Thank you, Oxford! We do recover!

I was abusing opioids for close to a year and I wanted to stop, but I needed help. I got accepted to Morris Village in Columbia, SC at the beginning of June 2022 and completed a 28-day program. I then was accepted into the Summerlea Oxford house in July. I’ve been here almost a year and it’s been great!

Hey y’all! My name is Alexis and I am indeed an addict. I am 28 years old and I live at Oxford House Parkins Mill in Greenville, South Carolina. I have been clean for 16 months now and I give all the glory to my higher power. I was a chronic relapser. I added it up and I have tried 25 different times in facilities and institutions. I just couldn’t stay clean. I kept running back to the same people, places, and things. I couldn’t sit with myself. I lost my daughter, never had a work ethic, had low self-esteem and some legal issues. I decided to try 1 more time. I went to a detox in Rock Hill only planning to stay that 5-7 day stay. Then I was offered their 6-week program and I completed that.

My counselor suggested that I continue in long-term recovery and try to go into an Oxford House. I called Oxford house Parkins Mill for a phone interview. I was so nervous! I knew I was willing to do whatever it took to stay clean & get back in my daughter’s life. I was accepted in!! I have been a part of Oxford House for 15 months now. It truly has saved my life. I have learned so much while being in Oxford. I am a HSC officer, (I hold the secretary position), I have helped open new houses, fill houses up, and teach women and men what I have learned. I have my daughter at Parkins Mill for the summer. I am employable today. I am happy, joyeous, and free!! Oxford House provided me safe, stable living. It has shown me how to pay bills, work for what I want, and gain amazing friendships and relationships that will last me a lifetime. I am truly blessed today.

I was a homeless alcoholic and lived in my car over 6 months. I got into an Oxford House and have been clean ever since.

As a homeless addict with nothing left to lose, I was hopeless and ready to try anything, I didn't expect the enormous amounts of support and recovery help when I applied or walked into Oxford House. They had rules and it was to create structure, I loved my house specifically (Lula Spartanburg) because we had NO drama. We have had mild cases since I've been here but, as long as I continue and work these steps, I know I have 5-6 woman standing behind me no matter what. It is the best gift I've received in life other than my children, mom's I never knew I'd have, sisters from all over, so many stories I could relate to, and, most importantly, love and peace. I wouldn't be here at all, but especially in this position] without Oxford (Lula Spartanburg) and, most importantly, my amazing women who fight for me daily. Much love – Courtney

Hi! My name is Hannah Orme and I am a beyond-grateful recovering addict. Like most, I came to Oxford lost, ashamed, scared and unclear of what the future may hold for me. All I knew was that I truly wanted to be clean this time and be a better mother to my children. I’m a chronic relapser so this time around I was ever more afraid I would not get it together in time before I lost my life. I got a job, started working a thorough program, and made very close friends with the ladies in the Oxford House. As time has passed, I’ve come to realize life is short and I don’t want to waste any more time on getting high.

I’m coming up on my one-year birthday of being clean! I can honestly say that without being here at Oxford House Nyes, that wouldn’t be possible. I’m an assistant manager at my job, I have three of the most amazing best friends in this house, and my babies have the best version of their mom back! I would have never thought I would be the president here when I started out and be helping others like I do now. Oxford is my HOME! I love sharing this place with everyone I know and showing how it has saved my life! I am now certain of my future and can 100% say without a doubt that I love my life that God has laid before me. Thank you, Oxford!

I'm moved into with 6 months clean and I grew from there. I have since been able to get a job in recovery, get my own place, a new car, and become Oxford House Alumni Chair for TN. Oxford House truly saved my life!!!

I came to Oxford House in 2020 and it truly saved my life. It allowed me to know that I could be someone again even after all those years of addiction and going to prison. I had lost all hope and dreams and truly didn’t believe I could be a good person again or enjoy happiness. After a year in Oxford, I decided to spread my wings and fly, so I returned back to my home town with four and half years of sobriety and accomplished all my goals of getting a house, getting my son back, and having a nice vehicle but I got complacent and forgot about recovery and ended up going through a horrible relapse.

I came back to Dallas, went through a couple of recovery programs and, eventually, Oxford opened their doors again and I’m currently living successfully with an amazing job, a sponsor, a love for NA and Oxford like no other and happily have five and half months of sobriety. So, to the newcomer: just because you go back out and try it again, I can personally tell you that if you’re lucky enough to make it back, Oxford’s doors will be open when you want to find sobriety again and will show you a new way to live. I have a love for Oxford like no other and will forever treasure it in my heart!

My name is Tony and I am a Crystal Meth Addict. For 5 years Ms.TINA had me in her clutches. I was in true sense of the word a “TWEAKER“. There's a line in the Big Book that says, “As we became subjects to King Alcohol, shivering denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness settled down. It thickened ever becoming blacker. Some of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding and companionship and approval.” This was me at the very end of my addiction – alone and seeking approval from people that I know I would never have hung out with if I wasn't using. Even when I was hanging out with the many, many sordid characters, I was seeking approval and being rejected because I was so needy. Finally, I had enough. I was about to be homeless and on September 22, 2018, by the grace of God, I made a decision. The next day as I was moving stuff into storage, I received a call from Homeward Bound Statewide Unit and they told me that they had a bed for me. While there I decided to change everything, beginning with sober living.

Oxford House it is. I interviewed at several Houses and ended up at Oxford House Pride on November 27, 2018. I have been here ever since. I have grown so much since I moved in. Working with my sponsor and home groups, my life has grown leaps and bounds. I owe it to Oxford and all the service work I get to be a part of. I have worked my way up to becoming the chair for the North Texas Region and I am considering becoming an Outreach Worker. In a nutshell, that's it. I owe this new life I have thanks to OXFORD HOUSE and sobriety.

My name is Sarah and I am a grateful recovering addict. I was homeless for the 4th time and had my children taken from me and lost everything again, including my dignity. I went as low as escorting and was arrested for it. I had enough in October of 2019, I was tired of fighting for my life and searching for that next fix. I had my grandmother bring me to Corpus Christi, Texas to go to detox at Cinikor. Change people places and things. they said, so I stuck and stayed in Corpus. After residential, I was accepted into Oxford House Gabriel but it didn't work out at first; not having an ID, I was expelled due to non-payment of my EES. I ended up at Wenholz women’s house. I shortly started working after my arrival at Goodwill, February of 2020, I broke my foot and was let go from Goodwill; then Covid hit and that was hell. I ended up $1500 in the hole . When I was 6 months clean, I began working at Gifted Hand, a private provider company as a CNA and paid my rent off in 3 short months.

On December 31, 2020, I moved back to Oxford and began being of service. Fast forward – 2 1/2 years of being secretary of chapter 5 and Interchapter Chair for 2 years straight. I learned to balance a check book, pay bills on time, and to be the guiding light at Gabriel House. Today, I am 3 years, 5 months clean, in April 11,2023 my fiancée was put in the ICU. I was scared. I thought he was dying and I couldn't do this alone I felt. Because of the program, the rooms and Oxford, we got through this tragic time without one thought of drugs. He is just fine now, working through a slow recovery at the hospital and still not knowing why he has swelling in the brain. Realizing the work of my higher power who I call God, my fiancée seemed to be healed, a true miracle. I have decided to move on from Oxford and my fiancée and I are moving in together and getting married in a few months. Thank you, Oxford House, for my recovery and faith in the program. IOU EVERYTHING!

When I first came to Oxford House, I was on my last leg. I had absolutely nothing to my name except a few pictures of my children. Nothing was working in my life anymore. The drugs and alcohol had completely consumed my existence. Or so I thought. My addiction took me to places I'd never been. I was addicted to alcohol, various drugs and I hated my existence. With nothing left to lose, but everything to gain, I interviewed with Oxford House Santa Monica and was voted in. This began the process of a long road to recovery and sobriety. Words can express how safe I felt with women around me who understand what I've been through. I've been here 10 months now in the same house. And I've come so far and, for the first time in my life, I am so excited to see what I can accomplish sober. I've managed to hold down a job, learn and demonstrate my ability to successfully pay bills and be a productive member of recovery. I've managed to buy my own queen-size bed and tv...and my proudest moment so thus far is being able to buy birthday presents for my daughter whom I haven't seen in years. But, to know I could do that on my own, made my heart rest that much easier at night. I love the fact I can help other women in their journey to recovery as well. Oxford has done for me what I couldn't do for myself. And, for that reason and so much more, I will forever be indebted to Oxford and what they stand for.

“My names Robin Roberts and I was born into addiction; it was the only lifestyle I knew. My mother left when I was around eleven, and my father died when I was 16; the only thing I knew how to do was keep going, and drugs helped me cope with all my childhood trauma by numbing everything all at once. I’m grateful today that I know how to feel, I can thank Oxford for that. Fast forward about 10 years, stuck in survival mode, still addicted, and now raising a child of my own. Relying on only the knowledge of all the things I wished my childhood would havef been like, which was all just a fairy tale in my book. I loved my daughter more then anything, but I loved the drugs too, but two things no one ever taught me how to do was be a healthy reliable family member and also, how to not do drugs.

So, I struggled for 2 years, running from CPS, staying in hotels, just trying to make it to the next day okay until finally it wasn’t working anymore. Needless to say, CPS then took my child away from me and placed her in someone else’s care and wanted to terminate my parental rights. That sent me so far off the deep end; I almost didn’t survive. I spent 8 months trying to hold myself together enough to convince CPS to give me my child back and they were not falling for it. I didn’t know how to do it; I just didn’t know how to go one day without using drugs.

And then there was Oxford. Once I was completely broken and I surrendered to the unknown and was willing to change and ready to do what needed be done, I walked into an Oxford House, I wasn’t clean yet. It was just for an interview, right off the bat one of the girls said “If you want to live here, you’re going to have to go to detox,” I didn’t even know what that was, but I was willing. I followed her suggestion and went to detox for 7 days and came out and went straight to a women and children’s Oxford House. This is where the magic began; this is where I built my foundation. I built a family, I learned what a healthy relationship looked like and, more importantly, I went from a single woman’s spot to the woman and child spot after 77 days of moving into that Oxford House. Through the 12-step program, Oxford introduced me to, I learned how to live, a happy, clean life. It helped me get a job, it helped me be accountable and pay my rent,. I lived there for almost 7 months and now have moved out into my own apartment with my daughter. None of this would of been possible without Oxford and I will forever be grateful. Oxford showed me how to live.

Oxford saved my life. I was lost and at my wits end. I was seeking a sober living residence with love, care and brotherhood. This was my first time getting clean. I was scared. It was through the outreach worker at the time, Letty, who gave me a chance to continue my sobriety the right way. Throughout my time in Oxford, I have done a lot of service work and continue to be there for the next suffering addict and will continue to give back to Oxford because, when I did not believe in myself, someone else did from Oxford and I want to be there for the next person who ne ds that support.

I spent most of my life in and out of prison. I started getting arrested when I was in juvenile, and I always went back. I've been getting high for many years I got out of prison April 18, 2022 and then I went to a halfway house. Then I moved into an Oxford House and I wasn't even there a month and I relapsed for a day and then I thought I was ready for the freedom but I wasn't. Then I moved into another Oxford House where I've been for the past nine months and, because of this house and the environment in this house and the people in this house and the environment of my chapter, I've learned a new way to live. I needed the accountability that came with it and now I'm about to buy a house. Oxford provided me a safe place to live and get back on my feet after prison. I never had that before; I always went back to using immediately when I got out because I didn't have a safe place to go. I didn't know about Oxford. I didn't know that there was a new way to live. I didn't know that there where people who were in recovery who could help me and show me how to live better and hold me accountable and teach me how to be an upstanding citizen in the community again. I didn't know and that's what Oxford is. Oxford saved my life! It’s the best decision I ever made! I am now a vice chair of the chapter and I do service work within the chapter I. I cannot tell you the opportunities that Oxford is giving me. it saved my life; introduced me to people with whom I will be friends with for the rest of my life. All I can say is that, if you want to learn how to live again and you need a safe place to go, Oxford's the place. It saved my life.

I've fought Meth addiction for 30 plus years and, only after finding my husband dead on Halloween Day 2020, did I decide to get my life together and admitted myself into a Treatment Center in Austin, Texas. After my 30 day stay at Recovery Unplugged, I thought I was ‘good’. I went back home to VA. without any action plan to remain sober...needless to say, it only took 2 weeks to relapse. That was partly because of the trauma of losing my husband; partly due to not having a sponsor or attending meetings and the biggest part was returning to the people, places and things where I used for so many years. After 6 months into my relapse and watching my family finally have enough of my pity party, I decided I was ready to change my life no matter what it took. I packed a suitcase and came back to Texas and went through Recovery Unplugged again but, this time, I listened and took suggestions because my life depended on it. One suggestion was to try sober living in Texas for a while. I agreed and got accepted into my first Oxford House, Huddleston. As much I I dreaded the thought of being 21 hours away from my family, this was a life changer for me!!! Oxford House literally changed my life and became my second family – a sober family that I have never had before. It truly gave me a purpose to get up in the morning and be the best I could be. Mind you, this house accepted me without a penny to my name to move in with. The women helped me apply for scholarships, took me to job interviews, fed me until I got my first paycheck. I eventually got a job in Recovery and got a full Scholarship through Recovery Atx for my Recovery Support Peer Specialist Training and Certification.

With that, I got an amazing job offer at a brand-new Facility in Paige, Texas. With the money I'm making today, I have been able to afford major dental surgery and implants, I finally got a car of my own and on my own. I am self-supported and almost 2 years sober!!!

Today my mission is to help give back to others and help pull the next addict out if the hell I couldn't pull myself out of. I've referred many, many of my clients to Oxford House. They saved my life and so many others before me...we can only keep what we give away and Oxford House gave me the life I live today. For this I will forever be grateful.

I was only going to stay the few months ordered by my P.O. After a couple of years, I got tired of asking when I could move out, then I stopped asking and just love the whole Oxford concept and just stayed. I don't have family I can hang out with as they all either drink and do drugs or sell drugs so Oxford House has become my family.

I've done all House positions, Chapter Positions, Regional Positions and am currently a member of the World Council. l I think I will still be around for a minute.

My current Oxford home is not the first home I entered. But I can say it will be my last because, instead of running away and blaming others for my own personal issues, I have grown in a way I never thought I could. I have been able to accomplish things that seemed impossible to me. I have been able to be the mother my son always deserved. It’s an everyday process and a continuous journey that will lead me to a future I never could have imagined.

Oxford isn’t easy, but the bigger the struggle, the bigger the blessing. If I didn’t have the family and accountability that has entered my life, I most likely wouldn’t be sober. Oxford is a huge part of my recovery, and I will forever be grateful for where it has led me today.

Since my time in OH, I had taken responsibilities that have helped me mold myself into a more productive and mature being. I started from being the President and HSR after my initial 30- Day newcomer time and was nominated for the Male HSC Chapter officer position shortly thereafter. In my 2-year run with the Fort Worth area, I had been a core member in my first house, been a founding member of a new house and, in the third house in another chapter, I had stepped in to rebuild a house back up after a pretty big turnover of sickness occurred. After filling the house up and stabilizing the finances, I had returned to my first house due to an employment change and I am on the fast track to successfully move out here in the next few days out of OH and into the next chapter of my life with a few of the other guys here. OH has been a priceless part of my life and I could do nothing else but encourage it for those wanting to live a new life. The people I've met along the way have impacted me for the better. From the guys in all my houses, chapter officers, Outreach among others, thank you for being with me for the ride.

I am a drug addict. This is my 3rd time in Oxford. My last relapse nearly killed me. I'm so grateful to be alive. So, a few days before I got sober, I was homeless and dehydrated in the Texas summer heat. I had completely lost my mind, having been on a meth bender where I had eaten a large amount of stuff. Well, anyway, I nearly died. I went into meth psychosis. In the heat of Texas, no money. no water. and somehow, I managed to pass out on a sidewalk after several days of no liquids. So, once I started coming down, I managed to make it to my sister's house and I had completely lost my mind. The police were called out and they transported me to the hospital where they told me that I had COVID-19. With the diagnosis of covid, I was unable to go to rehab so I left with absolutely nothing – no family and no money, I turned to the only friend that I had left who, thank God, let me come stay with her in Canyon Lake, Texas. So, I left the hospital which was Parkland Hospital here in Dallas and, luckily, I managed to walk in the Texas heat, still sick but luckily no cravings by that point. All of that had been removed by the grace of God because I feel like I was definitely done. So, I got to the bus station and I had to sit outside for eight and a half hours waiting on the bus to go to Canyon Lake which is in South Texas because of the covid-19 restrictions which were still in effect in 2021 here in Dallas, Texas.

I was able to get 45 days of clean and sober time and I knew exactly what I had to do next. I had to reach back out to Oxford House and get an interview set up, so I came back to the Dallas area to Waxahachie, Texas where my friend was living and I interviewed at London Fog Oxford House here in Dallas and I was accepted. I've been here ever since. This is exactly why I do what I do for my chapter. I have a lot of gratitude for my life and I want to share that with everyone else.

I was released fron jail to Oxford house with the clothes on my back-- scared and in fear. In the few short months being in Oxford, I've gained the tools to get my career back on track. My life is manageable; I’m no longer co-dependent or using drugs and alcohol to mask pain and disappointment. I have in confident in myself and my future, thanks to Oxford and the program I work today.

Growing up, I was surrounded with addiction in my family. My dad himself was only 3 years clean when I was born. Even though my parents never used around me or my younger brothers, we knew the harm it caused. I started sneaking cigarettes around the age of 10 and was drinking from time to time. When I turned 13, I broke my foot and the doctor prescribed me narcotics to help with the pain. I soon learned that I enjoyed the feeling of being numb and was hooked. I hid my addiction well in my eyes. I graduated high school early and even graduated college by the age of 18, but little did anyone know that I was addicted to pain pills and Xanax. I met my ex-husband and married him at the age of 19 and he showed me a completely different side of the world I was treading in. When I was 23, I decided to go through a divorce and met with my boyfriend, with whom I went through the roughest parts of my addiction. Along with experiencing homelessness, I became a victim of domestic violence. I always wanted something better for myself.

Finally, on August 2, 2020, I hit my rock bottom and called my parents as a last hope. They picked me up and let me stay with them so I could try to detox and get clean on my own. It didn't work; I started drinking my pains away and ended up getting arrested on November 8, 2020. The judge gave me two choices; either go back to detox and only get charged with Public Intoxication or face the 4 felonies he could charge me with according to the police report. Needless to say, I went to detox and straight from there I moved into Oxford House Walton in Fort Worth, Texas.

In my time of Oxford House, I have seen some amazing people who inspired me to be the best version of myself. Now, having been in Oxford for over 2 years, I hope that my experience helps others. I wouldn't have learned how to communicate with different people without Oxford. I am very grateful that I now see a long future in sobriety that will outweigh the 14 years of active addiction I was in. My advice to anyone is to always ask questions because there is always someone who knows the answer.

I've always suffered from mental health issues, and my only escape was using. I was 11 years old when I tried alcohol for the first time. I was 17 when I had appendix surgery and was prescribed pain pills. From that point, I was hooked. Life on life's terms happened on a consistent basis and all I knew how to do was escape by using. My coping skills were non-existent. I would try over and over and over to get clean on my own but it wouldn't stick. Over the years I experimented with all different substances but none held a grip on me like hydrocodone. Unfortunately, I was buying different pills on the street and was given Fentanyl.

In my active addiction, I prioritized wrong. I neglected my daughter, bills, my physical and mental health, and my dignity and self-esteem. I would hit what I thought was rock bottom so many times and would have to start back over. On January 17th, 2023... I was almost killed by the person I was living with. I was choked out, beaten up, and given a concussion. It was unfortunate that it happened, but it also gave me clarity. I wouldn't have been in that situation if

I was taking care of myself the way that I should. I checked myself into rehab for the first time and made a promise to myself to be open minded and willing.

I moved into Oxford when I graduated inpatient, became involved in Chapter and the overall function of the house as a whole. My life has started to rebound in ways I could have never imagined.

My addiction was a whirlwind of self-destruction as it usually is. I went from being an actively- involved football/orchestra mom and successful general manager to becoming a homeless and addicted criminal. I lied to myself and everyone around that I had it under control for years. When covid shut everyone’s lives down, I was an unemployed workaholic no longer needed anywhere. So I found people who needed me more than my employers ever did and ran me all over town to occupy my time more than with a tournament and recital on the same weekend. I was addicted to not only drugs but to the entire life style. I lost meaningful things one at time. First my husband; I was no longer the woman he met. Then my kids; their dad's house was a healthier place with a parent that was home more than 30 min at a time. After that, I lost my house because rent would take away from my gambling money. My freedom, clean record, dignity and self-respect were a few other things that I threw out the window.

After months and months in county jail, I found my motivation to get myself back and to be the mom my kids once had. I found my freedom from that detrimental lifestyle while sitting on my bunk burying my head in my Bible and self -health books. With the help of Oxford House, I have a bed in a house for the first time in years. I have held a legit job and can pay for birthday parties and Christmas presents again. My dignity and self-respect have returned. I have learned that the joy of helping a recovering addict is so much more rewarding than providing any dollar I made enabling their addiction. I don't recognize the woman I see in the mirror because I am no longer the boring mom and workaholic or the broken addict. I am a healing and determined Tasha in recovery and, if it's one thing I've learned, it is that I don't ever half-ass anything. So, I'm all in this and for the first time I am happy and fulfilled. I take pride in what I have overcome and look forward to reaching the rest of my goals.