Women's Shelter in Mayes County Gives Hope to Recovering Addicts

It's no secret that Oklahoma has a big opioid problem, but it’s especially bad in rural parts of the state where they lack resources to help addicts recover.

Now an organization called Hope House is looking to shine a light on the problem and help women who are struggling in Mayes County.

"I would have no life without Hope House," said Amber Springer.

Amber Springer was only a few months pregnant when she was caught stealing groceries last year in Adair County.

She says because of her history with addiction and unpaid fines, she was looking at time behind bars.

"I was looking at prison and I would've lost my daughter before I even had her,” said Springer.

Amber asked the judge if she could go into a rehab program instead so she could still have custody of her daughter and learn to become a mother again. That's when she says the judge handed her a paper with the words, “Hope House.”

“If it wasn’t for this program, I wouldn’t have her,” said Springer. “There would be no Sunshine because she would be with some other family or in the system or I wouldn’t even know her."

Hope House is a faith-based nonprofit that was formed to help break the cycle of addiction. They say their intention is to empower women by helping them recognize their strengths while giving them a safe place to stay. Hope House is one of three shelters for women in Mayes County and one of the few that accept children.

“They come to us because they can’t make it on their own. So, they need that extra support from the program to see what it’s like to have a real life,” said Hope House Board President Toni Yorke.

Because Mayes County is one of the worst counties in the state for opioids, programs like this are needed more than ever.

“It takes a lot of volunteers and it takes a lot of donations to make this program work and there is not enough in the state of Oklahoma,” said Toni Yorke.

The program can take anywhere from three months to a year to complete and it costs more than $4,000  for one woman to stay in the program at Hope House for 9 months.

Hope House has five rooms and can house up to 17 women and children, and they solely rely on donations to make it happen.

“The hard part isn't getting clean, the hard part is staying clean,” said Springer. “But here you get love, and that is the biggest difference.” 

Yorke says most women walk into their doors with nothing except the clothes on their back. Their goal is to help them find jobs, a place to live, and even help them reconnect with their families.

“We have a lot of tears, we have a lot of laughter here because of what we see these girls become,” said Yorke.

Six months later, Amber Springer now has a job, a place to live, and custody of her two daughters. But most importantly, now she has a support system, not only for herself but also for her daughter, Sunshine.

“She’s got family love here that’s going to be in her life for the rest of her life and mine,” said Springer.

Thursday morning, Cherokee Nation will be donating money to Hope House. They have been a big supporter of the organization for several years.

If you would like to help, you can donate HERE