For the second year in a row, The Purple Party will welcome the sober curious, sober celebrating, and everyone that supports the recovery community on Thursday, May 23rd at Rockwell park. Last year’s inaugural event was met with so much enthusiasm from the sober and sober-curious communities (and those who support them) that it sold out in advance.
“Sober events are becoming popular, and not just for those in recovery! Addiction is a serious illness that wreaks havoc on individuals, families, and communities. Yet, recovery is possible. It’s estimated that 22.3 million Americans are living in recovery and that’s worth celebrating. We want people to see the miracle and joy of recovery, and experience the fun of sober-celebrating while supporting the important work that POWER is dedicated to,” says POWER CEO Rosa Davis. “There’s nothing like this in Pittsburgh. We proved with last year’s sell-out event that this party with a purpose is the biggest sober party in Pittsburgh!”
Each year, POWER honors alumni for their accomplishments in Recovery. This year, alumni will be featured in stunning Purple Portraits by Rose Colored Creative at The Purple Party. The portraits will eventually make their way to the new POWER Campus.
We caught up with the three POWER Alumni honorees to hear more about their stories.
SYLVIA’S STORY
Sylvia started drinking in middle school and continued to drink for most of her life. It got worse when her brother died. She considered herself a highly functional alcoholic. “I had a nice car, I had a house, light, and heat. I still feel like I was a great mother.” But then she tried crack cocaine. “That began three of the longest, darkest years of my life and that is what brought me to my knees.” Sylvia had to move in with her mother and after an altercation with her daughter, she was sent to jail. Children, Youth, and Families was called in and connected her with Vivian Watkins, a mentor at POWER.
“The only thing I could think of was my children and how they didn’t deserve the life I had given them.”
After rehab she headed to POWER. “I’m so grateful I got into the House. It was strict. It was serious. I am grateful for that because I needed that. Another thing I was grateful for is I had my own room – it was so beautiful, so peaceful. It was just one of the best experiences of my life.”
“I had all these tools in my bag that POWER gave me.”
In June, Sylvia will have ten years in recovery.
Sylvia is now an apprentice with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. She and her partner have been together eight years, she has another daughter, Serenity, and she’s taken in her two godchildren whose mother passed away. “They’re wonderful,” she says.
“That’s one of the best things about my life today – that I can help someone else.”
TONYA’S STORY
It’s not unusual for people to go to drug and alcohol treatment more than once.
For 15 years after completing treatment at the POWER House and POWER New Day Outpatient, Tonya was doing great. She went to college, bought a house, and had a baby – then she was in three auto accidents within 10 months. Her injuries were serious and kept her from working. She filed for bankruptcy, lost her home, and moved back into a housing complex.
“Everything just shattered around me.”
It was too much, and Tonya relapsed. It was awful to be back in the grip of addiction, disappointing family members and herself, trying to maneuver through shame and guilt.
Two years ago, after recovering from COVID and near kidney failure, Tonya decided to return to POWER. This time, there was a new feature– a mentor from POWER Connection. Tonya’s mentor, Yvonne Miller, was not only in recovery but had also been a POWER Connection client herself. Tonya says Yvonne was “my mirror; she understood my struggle, apprehension, and fear of relapse, and she wasn’t judgmental.” Yvonne was what Tonya needed: a guide to living in the outside world while in recovery.
Life remains challenging for Tonya. She has chronic back pain and had open heart surgery to remove an aortic valve aneurism. But she takes no narcotics for her pain and has two years in recovery.
“Sometimes I think, ‘Why me?’ But then I say, ‘Why not me?’ It’s all made me a stronger person.”
TABATHA’S STORY
When Tabatha was a child, she was told she wouldn’t amount to anything. “Hearing that all my life, it lowered my self-esteem so much that I was broken,” Tabatha says. “My mother was an addict. My father was never in the picture. I was raised around drugs and alcohol like that was normal.”
When POWER mentor Lisa Childs entered her life, Tabatha was in her 30s and had been addicted to crack since age 13 and heroin since age 17. She had untreated mental health issues and an eighth-grade education, was homeless, in and out of jail, and losing custody of her three children.
When Tabatha had to leave a treatment program, Lisa found her another. Each time Tabatha went to jail, Lisa picked her case back up as soon as Tabatha was released. She told Lisa, “My kids deserve better.” Lisa answered, “They do deserve better. They deserve you better. They deserve you to take care of you so you can be a better mom for them.’
“It was a lightbulb moment for me.”
Today, Tabatha has been in recovery for over three years and has a job, a house, a dog, and a boyfriend. She has a close group of supportive friends in recovery and is very active in 12-step meetings. Although she lost custody of her children, she is very happy that all three were adopted by the same amazing family. Tabatha visits them twice a year and on holidays, and she can keep in touch and watch them grow, ”When they grow up, I will be so ready for them!” Tabatha now tries to help other women who are struggling.
Congratulate these amazing women in person at The Purple Party on May 23rd!
Tickets are still available for this year’s party and can be found at power-recovery.com/thepurpleparty.
