Therinda Wood, right, has a smile on her face because she has made big strides in her life and is ready to leave the Keepin’ It Real Recovery House and transition to staying with a relative. Pictured left is Dana Waye, chief of staff at the House. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Seven months after opening its doors, the Keepin’ It Real Recovery House in Flora is celebrating the “graduation” of two of its residents.

Two women are transitioning into the real world, armed with the skills to stay drug-free.

Therinda Wood is starting her new life after six months in the Recovery House, and Rebecca Veach is starting over after three months in the Recovery House.

“I’m very proud of them,” said Dana Waye, Keepin’ It Real’s chief of staff and daytime supervisor at the House. “They’ve both come so far since moving into this house.”

Veach Therinda, who came to the House when she was 19, said she dropped out of school in 10th grade. She’s from Clinton County and said she was arrested there three times in a nine-month period, on drug and alcohol charges. Although she has successfully completed her time in the Recovery House, she said her case is still in the court system.

“Drugs were my life,” she said. “I woke up with drugs. I went to sleep with drugs. I had to have alcohol to go along with it. It’s a good thing I got caught when I did because otherwise, God knows where I would have been.”

Women who come to the House have already been through detox. The House helps them in their continuing struggle to stay clean.

Therinda said she could have gotten her bond reduced and bonded out of jail, but instead, she requested rehab.

“I was scared to go back out on the streets,” she said. “I could see where I would be if I got out of jail.”

Partlow Jackie Partlow is the founder and executive director of Keepin’ It Real, and personally counsels the women because she has walked in their shoes.

“Jackie puts a lot of her time into the girls in this house,” Therinda said. “She helped me through the pain and crying. She’s given me discipline and structure. She wants what’s best for us. She can be hard sometimes, but hard is good because it makes you strong.”

Therinda said Jackie and others in the House also have helped her change how she views herself.

“They’ve helped me find myself – who I really am, sober and clean. They’ve helped me respect myself and care about myself. I have hopes and dreams and things to live for.”

She added that through the House, she received her GED and found a job.

“I received my GED two months after I got here. I wanted it that bad. I studied all day,” she said.

She found a job at Indiana Packers and has been working there three months.

“Another thing I can do now is say ‘no’ to drugs. Before, I didn’t have the stability to say ‘no,’ but now I do.”

Her road to recovery actually started in jail when she saw another inmate working on a Bible study correspondence course. Therinda asked about it and learned that the Bible material was being sent by Judy Ayres of Flora. Judy leads a Bible study at the Carroll County Jail and also sends the Bible lessons to other jails, if requested by an inmate.

Therinda asked for and received the study packets. She also learned about the Recovery House from Judy. It takes a lot of work to complete the Bible study course, Judy said, and Therinda has her certificate of completion.

Therinda starting going to church while she was living at the House, and in May was baptized and became a member of a Flora church.

“This is the most I’ve ever done with my life,” she said.

Therinda transitioned out of the House Sept. 1 and will be staying with an aunt in Carroll County until she has the resources and other necessities to live on her own. She said some things need to be worked out, like getting a driver’s license, a car, and getting her two-year-old son back. He’s been staying with his paternal grandmother in Clinton County. At the House, her visits with him were limited to three hours, once a week, but she is expecting to see him more now that she will be living at her aunt’s house.

Therinda also plans to further her education, and has already sent in her financial aid forms. Her career goals are the medical field or business management.

She says she wants to come back to the Recovery House – this time for a different reason.

“Maybe I can help somebody,” she said. “I’ve been taught to give back.”

House rules

Rebecca Veach, age 36, doesn’t feel as comfortable talking about her personal journey, but she does tell about what it’s like living in the House and how it has helped her.

She says the House has rules and expects the women to take responsibility for their own lives and for things that need to be done in the house.

Some of the rules, according to Rebecca, are: No cell phones, no male visitors except family, can’t answer the House phone, can’t make phone calls unless they ask first, and generally, have to be up and ready to go by 9 a.m. and in bed by 11 p.m. (although this can be affected by job shift). Family visitation is every Saturday for three hours.

Rebecca said the women are expected to clean, do their own laundry, and cook for themselves. When they have their work done, they can watch TV. Supervised computer use is also available.

The House provides food, toiletries, supplies, and transportation to job interviews, jobs, doctor’s appointments, etc.

Dana Waye said having a job or searching for one is required, and when the women have a job, it is their responsibility to pay rent. Otherwise, rent must come from a family member or other resources. She said if the women don’t have a high school diploma, they are expected to work on getting their GED.

Rebecca said attending Bible study classes is required, as well as attending NA meetings and some parenting classes. They also have morning discussions based on “Just For Today” (NA meditations), and they’re supposed to read “Our Daily Bread.”

“Jackie fights for us,” Rebecca said. “She does not give up easily, but you have to do your part.”

“I had a job two weeks after I got here,” she said. “This facility helped me get back on my feet. I’m ready to move on now.”

Rebecca said she was incarcerated in Boone County and Tippecanoe County, and her public defender recommended the Keepin’ It Real House.

She completed her stay at the house the end of August, and she now has an apartment of her own.

“I’m looking for a fresh start,” she said.

Dana said right now the House has beds for nine women, and it has been kept full or nearly full, with more on the waiting list.

“Most of the girls are in their 20s,” she said. “Fortythree is the oldest we’ve had, and 19 is the youngest.”

“A lot come here without any sructure in their life,” Dana said. “We help them get a job, learn how to handle their money, handle everyday life, stay sober, and cope with problems in their lives.”

“The girls are supervised 24-7,” Dana said. She has the day shift, Kathy Bell has the night shift, and Jackie fills in for the other two. Phyllis Reinke also helps out.

When one girl needs to go someplace, everyone goes, because no one can be left in the house.

Dana said about a dozen women have come to the house, but five left before completing the program, some even choosing to go back to jail.

As Jackie puts it, “They left before the miracle happened.”

Dana said there are still many needs in the House – more volunteers, and donations of food, supplies, and gas money.

Jackie is available to speak about Keepin’ It Real, with any donations given to the House.

Since Therinda and Rebecca are the first ones to “graduate,” Jackie said a big celebration is planned for later this month.