Thirteen days in jail was enough time for Marlo Williams to
realize she didn't want to go to prison.
The one-month-old child growing inside her also played a
part.
"I had lost my other four children. They were separated from
me because of my drug use and I didn't want to lose another one,' she said
Wednesday at a sober-living home in north San Bernardino that she shares with
five other women with similar backgrounds.
"I didn't want my child to be born a drug baby, so I came
here,' said Williams while sitting at the kitchen table holding her daughter,
Khalia, now 6 months old. "It's been a blessing.'
Owned by Kim and Mark Carter, the home on North Mountain View
is structured and offers women especially those with children and who have been
homeless, on drugs or in jail an opportunity to transition back into the
community.
On
Saturday, the Carters will open a second sober-living home in north San
Bernardino where the two convicted felons can help at least six more women get
back on their feet.
This home, located in the 3300 block of North Wall Avenue, is
furnished, has three bedrooms, a children's playroom, two full bathrooms, a
large kitchen and family room, and a back yard with a covered patio.
"Somebody helped me, now I'm going to do what I can to help
others,' said Kim Carter, 42. "I mean, look at Marlo (Williams). When I met her,
Khalia hadn't even been born yet. All Marlo wanted was an opportunity to have
her baby be drug-free. That's a pretty big step for her and she did it.'
Though the Carters have had little opposition to their homes,
some neighbors have shown disapproval, saying these kinds of homes are against
the law.
However, the Carters are well within their rights, said Ken
Schonlau, a director with the Sober Living Network of Southern California.
The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 prohibits cities and
counties from making housing opportunities unavailable to people with
disabilities.
"What has happened is the federal government housing laws
included alcoholics and recovering addicts as people with disabilities,'
Schonlau said. "It also established the right for unrelated disabled people to
live together as a family.'
Soberhousing.net lists 23 sober-living homes in San Bernardino
County, including the Carters' home. Rent ranges from no cost to $400 a month.
The Carters charge $400.
Kim Carter said she and her husband have made investments
through their personal assets to buy the homes.
Audrey Murphy, who lives near the Carters' first home, said
concerned residents should give them a chance.
"You wonder if it's going to detract from your neighborhood,
but, when I first met Kim, she was out planting flowers,' she said about
sober-living homes coming into the area.
"When I saw that, I knew this was going to be OK. I could see
that she was going to take care of the home. The people living in her home
haven't been a problem. In fact, they're an asset to our community.'
Murphy and her husband, Jim, have lived in the area for 45
years.
Like the five women living at the original home, women chosen
to live at Sweet Dreams, in addition to staying away from drugs and alcohol,
will have daily chores.
Each is responsible for cooking at least once a week.
And, they will also have to sign a sheet when they leave the
home identifying where they are going and when they will be returning.
"It's very structured,' said Williams, who is working on
getting her GED. "I can't run around doing what I want. The purpose of this home
is for transition. That means you find a job or get educated to better
yourself.'
Kim Bell, who has been sober for 92 days, agreed.
Without the Carters' support, Bell might not have a job and
visitation rights with her 5-month-old daughter.
"It's the longest I've been sober. This is an awesome
opportunity for me to turn my life around,' she said sitting across from
Williams.
"Even my ex-husband, (who) was a little reluctant to let my
daughter come here to visit me, is beginning to understand that this is a safe
environment. ... Now she comes and spends the day with me.'
Kim Carter said it's stories like those of Bell and Williams,
as well as her own, that give her the drive to do more for the underserved.
"I'm an example that my past is not my future,' she
said. |
