WOMEN HELPING WOMEN
Founders’ own experiences determined how new Rio Rancho facility operates
Seven years of unrelenting effort to create a supportive home for women recovering from drug and alcohol addictions have paid off for halfsisters Phillis Ariss and Becky Schlegelmilch who recently opened Valerie’s Place in Rio Rancho.
The sisters envision Valerie’s Place as a haven where women ages 16 and older who have experienced addiction, abuse, homelessness or a combination of these, can feel safe long enough to heal. It has capacity for up to four women who can live there for two years while they continue their journey through counseling, learning life skills, furthering their education and securing employment. Clients will be required to work and pay rent.
Schlegelmilch and Ariss began meeting with local government representatives, business organizations and working with a grant writer in 2010. They had to overcome many hurdles to secure the necessary permits to open because many people thought they were trying to create a “halfway house”for women transitioning from being incarcerated. They wanted to create a sober living home where women could learn new life patterns and feel safe.
“We had to fight for every certificate we got. Everything we got signed,” said Schlegelmilch.
Ariss and Schlegelmilch built the model based on their own experience of what worked and didn’t work for them in their own lives. Schlegelmilch suffered physical abuse and was briefly homeless. Ariss is a former drug addict who experienced homelessness and spent time in jail. She has since earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in counseling.
Rehabilitation programs that last 90 days and turn people out on the streets without resources set people up for a relapse. Without a job or car, and lacking in eduction, coping skills and selfesteem, they face huge odds, said Ariss.
Valerie’s Place is named after a woman Ariss knew who “fell through the cracks” and died on the way to recovery. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and representatives from the Rio Rancho Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new facility.
For information about Valerie’s Place call: 505225-5440 or check out www.valeriesplace.org.