Wanda's Story

In 1998, Wanda had been addicted to alcohol and cocaine for 18 years. A woman came up to her on the street and told her she should go to Meta House for help. (The woman then worked at Meta House). Wanda wasn’t ready to stop using drugs and alcohol. Years later, when she heard the name Meta House again, she remembered the kindness of this stranger.

Wanda, like most of the clients at Meta House, faced a devastating childhood. Beaten regularly by her father and grieving her mother’s death, at 15 Wanda turned to alcohol to numb the pain. She dropped out of high school and met a man who turned out to be very physically abusive. He introduced her to cocaine and prostituted her to get money for drugs. Wanda fell deeper into substance abuse, as her life continued to be filled with pain and degradation. She stayed with her abusive partner for 20 years, not knowing where to turn for help.

Throughout those years, Wanda’s three children lived on and off with their paternal grandmother. Wanda lived a chaotic life and ended up on the streets. Although Wanda stopped using drugs for a time in 2002, she did not face the issues behind her substance abuse. Her new partner was using substances and he pressured her to start using again.

When Wanda was evicted from her apartment and the children still in her care were taken away, she made a promise to herself to stop using. She knew that her youngest child, from her new partner, had no relatives in the area and would be placed in foster care. Her Child Welfare Worker suggested that she go to Meta House for treatment. She remembered the kind stranger that had reached out to her many years before. Determined to stop using substances, she made the phone call.

Wanda started in the Outpatient Services Program and then moved into the Residential Treatment Program in the beginning of 2005. While at Meta House, she worked with staff to develop her parenting skills and prove that she could take care of her child. She was reunified with her child after four months!

In addition to the parenting services she received, Wanda is most grateful for the Seeking Safety class which helped her make sense of her traumatic past. Listening to the other women in the class, she knew that she was not alone in her healing process. Now Wanda is proud to speak to the current clients in the Residential Treatment Program and to serve as a positive example of substance abuse recovery. She encourages women to “stick to it” even though the process is difficult. Wanda now truly believes in herself and wants to share this belief with the other Meta House clients!

Now in her 17^th month of sobriety, Wanda is a resident in Meta Housing. She is working toward her GED, doing volunteer work and caring for her 3-year-old and 17-year old daughters. For Wanda, life after Meta House is truly good!