A Kansas City woman who has turned her life around is trying to help others suffering from addiction do the same. Bobbi-Jo Reed, a Missouri resident who has been sober for 28 years, describes her journey, including when she was at her ‘lowest of the low.’
“Thank goodness there was a free treatment center that I could go to and then I started going to twelve-step meetings,” said Reed. “I started carrying the message. I started getting really involved because something that we need to do as people in recovery is give back and help and become part of something. Community…it’s the biggest thing in recovery.”
She is the founder of Healing House in Kansas City. Since 2002, the organization has provided safe, transitional housing for men and women recovering from substance abuse disorder.
“I was able to get an awful, tore-up old nursing home in the hood,” she explained. “I redid it and when I got it up, the women just started coming. I thought I was going to have that one old nursing home and next month, we will have 15 homes.”
She said a majority of the people that she serves come to her with nothing.
“People coming out of prison have maybe a shoe box, no ID, no psychiatric medication,” she told a committee of lawmakers in Jefferson City. “So, the first thing we do is we start hustling to get them an ID, a social security card. We get them to the doctor. We get them immediate psychiatric care. A lot of them can say they’ve been on meds, but they didn’t send them out with it. They have no clothing, nothing.”
Her story has been showcased in a 2021 award-winning documentary film that is available on the several streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime. She uses her personal journey to help others suffering from substance abuse find their purpose.
Click here for more information about Healing House. Click here for more information about her movie.
Copyright 2023, Missourinet.
