By the time Markell Goudie reached Hope Street in Walla Walla, Wash., she had lost everything to substance use disorder. Her home, her family, herself.
“God brought me here,” she said. “Hope Street has taught me a new way of being. There is so much love and hope here.”
Hope Street is a recovery residence for women funded by community partners including Providence St. Mary Medical Center. It offers a zero-tolerance sober living environment, accountability, connections to support agencies, a full-time recovery advocate, and a community of women on the same path to recovery.
Hope Street Executive Director Karen Carman created the kind of place that did not exist in Walla Walla when her daughter, Sierra, needed it. Sierra lost her life to a drug overdose at 21. A plaque with her photo hangs in the entry way of Hope Street.
“People in recovery have a great deal to navigate at what is often the most challenging time in their lives,” Carman said. “There is so much for someone in recovery to figure out, especially at first,” she continues. “We provide support and connections. That is the key. These women have so much value and worth, both personally and to our community.”
Goudie has been at Hope Street for a year, first as a resident, then house manager, and now as the recovery advocate. She spends many hours walking alongside the residents on their journeys.
“You are so lost when you come in off the street,” Goudie said. “It feels so good just to have someone with you to walk through it. There is so much stigma with recovery. Here, you are accepted, and your light can shine.”
