On October 6th, Kristy Breslin, of Baltimore, Maryland’s WJZ Channel 13 news, sat down with Wendy Messner (Founder and Executive Director of Rage Against Addiction) and Rachel Bongiorno (our Recovery Coach and Daughter’s House Program Director) as well as a long-time volunteer and two of our former sober living house residents to talk about Rage for an upcoming episode of Harford MagaScene. This episode will air on the Harford Cable Network sometime in November. According to its website, Harford MagaScene is “a local magazine style program highlighting upcoming events and nonprofit organizations in Harford County, Maryland.” Ms. Breslin interviewed these five amazing ladies at Daughter’s House, one of our women’s sober living houses located in the suburbs of Harford County, Maryland. Sister House is our second women’s sober living house also located in Harford County, Maryland; both make up our amazing Daughter’s House program which is designed to assist women who are transitioning from substance abuse treatment to recovery.

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Ms. Breslin was very accommodating during the interview process. She recognized that some of the content was heavy and difficult to talk about. However, we all knew that spreading information about the devastation of addiction as well as sharing hope for recovery plays an important part for communities in understanding this epidemic and erasing the stigma, supporting families who have lost someone to substance abuse, helping those still struggling, and celebrating those who are in recovery.

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The highlight of the interview was Luca, a five-week-old baby of former Daughter’s House resident Michelle Soutar. With a head full of soft brown hair, he slept quietly in his mother’s arms as she talked about her own battles with addiction. She also discussed how our Rage After Baby Care program helped her get on her feet again. This program provides newborn care items to new mothers in early recovery.

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Meredith Morris, a former Daughter’s House resident and manager, talked to Ms. Breslin about her time in our sober living house and her amazing journey from a destructive life of substance abuse to a life full of happiness and gratitude.

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LeeAnn Hoerr, a dedicated Rage volunteer, talked about her involvement with Rage Club. Her kids are a part of this program that was specifically created for children who have been directly impacted by the devastation of addiction. There is oftentimes a therapist or an educator at our quarterly events to provide these children with coping skills and support, and a feeling of connection. Addiction is unpredictable and scary, and kids need to heal in their own way.

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Stay tuned for more details about when this episode will air. We extend of sincere appreciation for the opportunity to share Rage Against Addiction with many communities, and we hope you will tune in when the time comes!