Women overcome addictions at We Care Foundation home

It’s not often you can trade art for someone’s sobriety, but several artists jumped at the chance and donated pieces for a fundraiser planned for the We Care Foundation, a residential recovery home that helps women struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.

“I donated last year, too, and it was really wonderful,” local artist Niki Sands said. “The donations stay in Nevada, helping people out right here. It’s not a handout, it’s a hand up.”

The event, which was set for Nov. 8 and called Grateful Art, took place at The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. Last year’s inaugural event was at a private home near Sunset Park.

“Last year, a piece sold for about twice what it normally would,” Sands said. “The people were very generous.”

The nonprofit, housed at 2216 S. Sixth St., was established in 1961. It uses a 30-day program to help participants learn to take responsibility for their actions and return to being a functioning member of society.

The program uses part of the 12-step approach originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous, which was published in the organization’s 1939 book “Alcoholics Anonymous.”

“We take them through the first three steps in the 30 days,” said Rhonda Rios, director of the We Care Foundation. “We do group meetings and workshops and have one-on-one meetings. Every morning at 10, we have ladies from outside come to hold meetings.”

The recovery process involves participants’ reflection on their mistakes, making amends for them and learning to begin a new life.

Rios said the program isn’t a cure; it’s a step in a process. Those who have recovered from addiction know they aren’t cured, they’re just in control at the moment, she said. Slipping back into addiction is not uncommon, and all who graduate from the program know that staying sober is a matter of constant vigilance, she added.

“We work closely with the courts and the HOPE (Habitual Offender Prevention and Education) and the WIN (Women in Need) court programs,” Rios said.

HOPE Court is designed to help recidivists get off drugs, find a place to live, get a job and end the cycle of returning to the justice system. WIN Court focuses on the recovery and redirection of women convicted of prostitution and drug-related offenses.

Clients don’t need to be in the court system to come to the We Care Foundation. Often, women come on their own or are brought by family members. The fee for the program is $2,000, and the money goes toward operational expenses.

The home is run by women and provides a structured family atmosphere. It has an open-door policy, and there isn’t anything holding the women there. The program relies on 24/7 support from the staff and positive interaction with peers in the program.

The charity deals with small groups of six to eight clients, allowing participants to have more intimate help and one-on-one time with staff members.

In the end, everyone has to come to terms with their addiction and make the major lifestyle changes that are required. They don’t have to do it on their own, though. One of the foundation’s greatest resources is a network of sober women who have gone through the program. Each graduate becomes an addiction recovery advocate and counselor.

“I’m a former client,” Rios said. “Other women who have been through the home come back here to speak with the clients, and others are part of a group called Grateful Hearts, which raises money for the home.”

Rios said that one woman who took part in the program 44 years ago comes back to speak with clients twice a week, and another who was a client 39 years ago is a weekly visitor.

“It’s a support system,” Rios said. “The girls who have gone through the program, if they’re having a problem, they can just come, stay through the workshop and talk about their problems. There’s not a lot of rehab places where you can go back and talk about your ongoing problems and continue the process.”

The fundraiser at The Arts Factory is slated to continue through November as three of the artists who donated work are set to have it on display in the building’s lobby.

“It’s part of giving back to the community,” said Wesley Myles, owner of The Arts Factory. “I donated the space for the event and the space for the ongoing exhibit. The artists donated to the auction and a portion of the sales from anything that sells from the exhibit. Hopefully, others will follow our lead.”

Contact East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.