Previously incarcerated, Angela Regan struggled with drugs and alcohol for nearly two decades before giving her life to Christ. As she recovered, she considered her options for living in Southeastern “Appalachian” Ohio. She focused on her education, earning dual master’s degrees, in Law, Justice & Culture, and Sociology from Ohio University. She went on to teach Sociology at Hocking College and became a Crisis Counselor, certified Peer Recovery Supporter, and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant.
Her undying passion for helping women get back on their feet prompted Angela to trailblaze, and open Welcome Home SIS, a transitional housing and reentry program.
The first home in the state of Ohio to focus on gender-specific needs of females, post-incarceration, she shared: “More women are incarcerated for drug-related crimes and in recovery from addiction, and women are also more likely to have an open case with Children’s Services upon release. These are some key elements we focus on and mental illness. Women we house most commonly struggle with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. We often see schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,
and we at Welcome Home SIS strive to help our clients address all these issues.”
Edie's Testimony
Edie's recent testimony is an example reflecting a common situation for a woman post-incarceration and Welcome Home SIS’ open arms constitution.
“When I was released, at first, I went to a friend’s house in West Virginia. The situation turned out to be worse than what we had discussed, so I got a hold of other friends from home. That’s when I came back to Guernsey County. For 3 weeks things were going okay. Their situation was not the best, but they still tried to help. Then it started to unravel, so I called another friend. She needed help doing some house cleaning. We made an agreement. I would clean if she would give me a place to stay. This is where things started going wrong. I went to see friends. I started to use again. I got stressed and depression kicked in. I had no idea what I wanted to do next. I knew I didn’t want to continue using, and I would soon be on the streets.
I knew I wanted to do better than all of this.
A friend had mentioned Welcome Home SIS to me, so I figured I would contact them. That’s when I started discussing my situation with Angie Regan.
She happened to text one evening and ask if I was okay. I was so depressed and stressed out, that I was falling apart. I told her everything. Then I called her Monday morning and expressed my concern for my wellbeing and sobriety. I was watching myself fall back into the old patterns.
Which in my heart, I knew I didn’t want. Angie was also concerned for my well-being.
Once at the house, Angie ran through everything with me. She gave me some time to settle. When I got here, I had very little. She helped me with clothes, shoes, and personal products. I have been here over a month now.
I have come a long way.
I’m moving forward as much as I can. I am glad to be here. I’m doing well and plan to continue down the right path.”
In an economically depressed area with some of the highest poverty levels in Ohio, raising funds from the community to support life-saving work is a constant challenge.
Angela’s savvy dedication and concern for her clients, and a lot of prayer, keep the doors open and the future path well-lit for clients like Edie.
Please consider joining Serving USA in support and appreciation for Welcome Home SIS.
Comentários