Jenn Whitney

archives: recovery

According to the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, a total of 1521 individuals were admitted to the publicly funded substance abuse programs in Boone County in 2005. Of those individuals, 459 were women. Jackie Peoples knows first hand that "crack is a woman’s drug." Jackie, now 42, was a crack cocaine addict for twenty three years. In those years she raised three sons, Antoine, 23, Anthony, 21, and Andre, 19. She has lived in Columbia for the last fourteen years and has been in and out of twelve treatment centers for women and in and out of jail numerous times. "I've never been arrested for prostitution but I did it all my life. My mother taught me that we have a gold mine and we should use it."

In October of 2006, Jackie celebrated 18 months clean. She decided she didn’t want to live the lifestyle of addiction any longer when her husband, John Peoples, was arrested and put in prison for selling crack. "Once my husband was taken off the streets, I was out here alone," says Jackie. "I didn't know how to do anything. I had so much fear. I had never had to do anything for myself. My mother took care of me, men took care of me, and the government took care of me." In the last eighteen months, Jackie has learned how to hold a job, pay bills, and take care of herself physically and spiritually. Now she wants to help others break the cycle.

Earlier this year, her son Anthony was arrested at her home on 3rd Ave. near N. Garth and put in prison for an armed robbery he committed while high. A few months into his seven-year sentence he had a son-- Jackie's first grandchild. The baby's mother, Jill, had struggled with addiction like Jackie and was in and out of jail . When she got out, they had nowhere to go: people with criminal records can’t find housing. Jackie realized that there was a great need in Columbia for constructive help for women struggling with addiction to get out of the system.

With the help of Doris Kenney, a retired social worker, Jackie got the idea to open a transitional house to fill that need. "Addiction is a vicious cycle," says Kenney. "The same families/ people that needed help back then (she retired in 1992) are the ones that need help now." Jackie sat down with her sons to help turn the idea 'Momma Doris' came up with fifteen years ago into a vision of her own. In six months she has garnered support from old and newfound friends and the community at large.

"Women need to help each other," says Jackie. "In order to grow up, we need to learn that we can depend on ourselves even though we have other people to help us. We don’' need to keep using people as a crutch. Some time we have to stand up on our own. In the cycle of addiction, we just keep falling and falling instead of growing up to be the person that we were intended to be."

Jackie sees the transitional house as a place where women, as members of a community where they are held accountable to each other, will learn to accept help, be forgiven of their pasts, and become productive members of society. "One of the hardest things when I got sober was trusting other women. Women need to help each other stay lifted up and to teach and really transfer skills, even just normal ones like hanging out with girlfriends."

Under the guidance of Committed Caring Faith Communities of St. Louis, the Momma Doris House is slated to become a reality in 2008. Jackie continues her personal journey of growth, and now has two sponsees through Narcotics Anonymous who she is guiding along the same recovery path. "It was a God thing for both these women to be in my life and for me to sponsor and guide them the right way-- they watch my spirituality, they watch my walk. Shirley and Darlene got high together. They are so proud and glad to be together on the other side of the fence."

Jackie's son Anthony gave her the cross the night he went to prison, and her good friend, Otha Williamson, gave her the stair step diamond. Jackie touches her necklace all the time, and never takes it off. "It reminds me of the growth and change I have come through and that I have unconditional love," she says. "I want to be a phenomenal woman. I want something good out of life."
   
Jackie recently moved out of her house on 3rd Street and into a safer place nearby with her friend Henry Jefferson. "3rd St. is a drug infested area. I moved there because I was homeless," said Jackie. "I tell everybody: If you've got a made up mind you're gonna do whatever it takes not to get high--it doesn't matter where you go, where you live. I am so relieved to have moved. I still go around there as a reminder that I don't have to be afraid."
   
At Jackie's best friend Patricia Jordan's one year clean birthday party at the Pinewood Oxford House, Jackie and Trish celebrate with Patricia's daughter, left, Sherika Jordan, and fellow recovering addict Tammy Brown. "We're not bitches and ho's anymore! Allright!"
     
  
Sherika and her two sons stayed with Jackie in the house on 3rd Street until she moved. On a Monday night while Jackie was getting her hair done, Sherika called to tell Jackie her kids were hungry. Jackie found "Dede", left, 8, at the Intersection cutting out leaves labeled with things he is thankful for. Dede's leaf read "Ms. Jackie."
   
"I would like to give back what I have taken from the community and the damage that I have done," Jackie told her board at a recent planning meeting for the Momma Doris House at the Downtown Optimist Club. "It takes a lot of courage to stand up there, but when I look around the room, I know that I have good support."
   
On an average Sunday, Jackie attends Sunday school and at least one service at Christian Chapel, but often heads to Fifth Street Christian to hear fellow recovering addict Rev. James Kimbrow give the message. "I turned my life over to God. Once I got clean and sober, I felt that my spirituality was very important."
     
  
Shirley Thompson and Darlene Bradshaw saw a lot in the time they were out on the streets. Now they have both convinced Jackie to sponsor them in their recovery process. "We all struggled together and now we're doin' it," Shirley proclaimed.
  
Jackie has two women in her life she calls her 'spiritual moms'-- Sue Riley, her boss at the cleaning service, and Doris Kenney, center. At a bonding party Jackie held at her home, attended by about twenty women, they experiment with age-defying eye cream. "Since I've been sober I've cried a lot. I'm purging. I'm getting my cleansing. I gave myself permission to cry. I feel that it helps me grow," says Jacie. "But them bags are gonna go away sooner or later."
   
Jackie prepares the day's inspirational readings while waiting to be admitted to the NA meeting at the Boone County Jail. "Seeing us on the other side doing well gives those girls a lot of hope," saiys Jackie. She leads an NA meeting at the jail every other Sunday.
     
  
Candace Rogers, left, is an old friend of Jackie's son Anthony who is currently in prison. Jackie let her stay for a few days once when she ran away from home. "I've seen you out on the streets before, but now I see you in here and that gives me hope," she told Jackie.