Charity Whitcraft, 40, left, eats an ice cream while Amanda Kennedy, 32, Ashley Woods, 31, and Jordan Mumford, 35, take a smoke break outside of McDonalds on Oct. 11, 2021 in Athens, Ohio. Whitcraft and Mumford came to pick up Kennedy and Woods after their 8-hour shift working at the fast food restaurant along Richland Avenue. All of the women, with the exception of Mumford, are current residents of Serenity Grove. Both Kennedy and Woods had to advocate to leave their jobs on time so they wouldn’t be late for their Narcotics Anonymous meeting later that evening.
Serenity Grove is a Level 2 transitional recovery house for women recovering from substance use disorders. There, they are assisted with the transition to living independently. The house is open to women who have completed an inpatient treatment program and have been sober for at least 30 days.
Resident DeOnza Carter, 44, left, watches as fellow resident Ashley Woods, 31, recalls an interaction she had with a man who made a comment about her medical boot earlier that day while peer recovery support specialist Natalie Hoffman, 34, smokes a cigarette on Oct. 19, 2021 at the Serenity Grove house in Athens, Ohio. Woods had broken her foot while serving time in prison for drug related charges.
Residents, alumni and community members eat dinner outside during a weekly Tuesday night dinner for those in the local recovery community on Oct. 19, 2021 at Serenity Grove in Athens, Ohio.
Peer recovery support specialist and former resident Jordan Mumford, 35, originally of Zanesville, Ohio, right, shows current resident Charity Whitcraft, 40, originally from Albany, Ohio, photos of her son on her phone in the car after Mumford picked up Whitcraft from an appointment on Oct. 11, 2021 outside of the Serenity Grove house in Athens, Ohio.
Amanda Kennedy, 32, looks down at her daughter Lily Gillespie, 1, during a visitation on Nov. 3, 2021 at Serenity Grove in Athens, Ohio. Kennedy is a resident at Serenity Grove, a Level 2 transitional recovery house for women recovering from substance use disorders. Kennedy’s family is the primary caretaker of her children as she undergoes the recovery process.
Community member Susie Schroer, 39, left, with resident Ashley Woods, 32, and volunteer Jodie Lucas, 51, who are all of Athens, Ohio, help to celebrate Woods’ 32nd birthday at a weekly Tuesday night dinner for those in the local recovery community on Nov. 2, 2021 at Serenity Grove in Athens, Ohio.
Resident DeOnza Carter, 44, originally of Columbus, Ohio, smokes a cigarette outside of the Serenity Grove house on Oct. 15, 2021 in Athens, Ohio. Carter says that smoking cigarettes helps her occasionally calm down to cope with her multiple mental illnesses including post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder. She uses other things to help her feel good too, like getting her nails done. “I used to spend thousands of dollars on drugs. I can spend $48 to get my nails done,” she said.
Resident Charity Whitcraft, 40, originally from Albany, Ohio, sits up from a nap in her bedroom on Oct. 5, 2021 at Serenity Grove in Athens, Ohio. “I’m not supposed to be up here laying in bed all day, but sometimes I can’t help it,” Whitcraft said.
Serenity Grove Executive Director Betsy Anderson, left, makes macaroni and cheese while resident Charity Whitcraft comes to help her on Oct. 7, 2021 at the Serenity Grove House in Athens, Ohio. Anderson acts as a resource to the residents and is there throughout the week to help. Many of the women rely on her for her advice. “I love Betsy,” Whitcraft said. “She’ll drop anything to help us.”
Amanda Kennedy, 32, gets ready for a Narcotics Anonymous meeting at Serenity Grove on Oct. 11, 2021 in Athens, Ohio.
Charity Whitcraft, 40, waves her hand through the air while in the car Oct. 11, 2021 heading to pick up other Serenity Grove residents in Athens, Ohio.