Blessings - Nikki

Nicole has been a resident of the Sunflower House for almost three years and the SFH-House Manager for over two years. She is currently working full-time at a 3.5 level of care treatment facility as a Recover Support Specialist at the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center; and she just bought her first car. Nicole demonstrates a desire to live and willingness to lean into recovery principles for healing and direction. Nicole is a wonderful representative of what change looks like one day at a time and she's developed into a great leader within the SFH community. Nicole is eager to transition into independent living; however, she is mindful not to rush and confirm to the pressure of societal norms. GHM is delighted to assist Nicole throughout her recovery journey; it’s been a personal honor to serve and walk with her!

Nikki

"My name is Nicole, but I like to be called Nikki. To start off some things about me I grew up in Philly and came from Kensington. If you know anything about Kensington it is a black hole 90% of people get stuck in and most people are traffic, living out of tents, selling drugs, or waiting to die. 

Me, I was so broken. I was praying to die and that was the only time I would pray. The cops do nothing not even for people overdosing dying on the ground till they have no choice and have too. I became one of those people. I went to rehab with no shoes, no socks, only my ID, insurance card and social. From there people helped a little with some clothes and shoes.

I have no family, not even an emergency contact. I asked the rehab to send me as far away from Philly to a halfway house as they could. This was after they put me on subluciade shot once a month for maintenance. Now when my time was coming to a end at the halfway house I could not find any recovery houses that would take me. I had not a dime to my name, I couldn't get food stamps, I couldn't even get a state phone. Someone gave me theirs. Because I didn't have rent money up front, they would hang up when they found out I had no money. Then they wouldn't take me on the maintenance I was on. Then finally, I found the Garden Home Ministries.

I thought I was hearing it wrong when I said I don't have any money or a job and she said that's OK. I said I was on maintenance, she said not a problem. I remember crying cause I was so happy. Then I thought I was gonna have this huge bill I will have to pay back. And stressed on how I would get food, get a job, do IOP classes, and then do meetings too. I really started to freak out.

The day I got there Shar sat me down, told me to take a breathe and we prayed. She told me it would be ok, and she did not lie to me at all. She said she would be by my side and she was. She told me we are not going to worry about work you're going to settle in. She told me I'm going to focus on meetings and my IOP classes that were 3 days a week for three hrs. I got a sponsor and a home group. She helped me with rent and food, and I never ever was asked to pay any of it back. She also helped with winter clothes because I had none or a winter jacket. 

And now today I have 9 months clean and still going strong. I got a job that I love that is not stressful at all. I have a bank account. I have my own cell phone. And I now stand on my own two feet. And I got off maintenance cause I'm strong enough too. I've been through a lot and been through everything a person could have been through living in Kensington. 

The only reason I got here is because of the support and help I had. Because there was someone that had my back and didn't let me get stressed out. There was no reason to take me back out. This house is everything to me. It is the reason I got this far. It's the reason I am where I am today. It's the reason I'm alive and learning to live a program and have sober family and life that I love."