New Beginnings

The weather in December 2017 in Palmer Alabama was the coldest that has ever been in decades. It's under twenty egress and snowing heavily. Schools were closed because the roads and bridges were too dangerous to cross. Churches would become cold-weather shelters for homeless people. In the springtime, most of the homeless lived under the underpasses of bridges. Janice Weaver was a homeless woman who got fired from her job, lost her twin boys and her home all in the same year because of her drug addiction. Janice worked at the Caraway Center as a registered nurse for four years. Her husband Richard died in a car accident on May 18, 2016. It was a hard time for her being a single parent. Her mother Marjorie would watch the twins when Janice worked long shifts at the hospital. One night on her shift at the hospital, Janice ran into Chuck Bishop and old flame from high school. Her and Chuck began dating and he moved into her home. Chuck was a smooth-talking liar and a drug dealer. Janice soon got hooked on crack cocaine. She began not going to work, leaving her sons unattended at home for days. A concerned neighbor called the police when she saw the boy's eating food from the trash cans in the neighborhood. The police called Janice's mother Marjorie to come to get the boys from the home. The children were filthy and hadn't eaten food for days. Marjorie went into Janice house and what she saw brought tears to her eyes. There were dirty dishes in the sink, there was no running water, and the electricity was shut off. She opened up the refrigerator and the only thing in it was an old lemon. Marjorie went into the boys' room and pack up them some clothes and left a note for her daughter.

“Where is your daughter?” asked the policeman.

“I don't know,” said Marjorie.

“This is neglect,” said the policeman. “She needs to get in touch with me.”

“Yes sir,” said Marjorie.

The policeman gave Marjorie his card and he left for the station. Marjorie finished gathering her grandson's clothes and left. Janice showed up at her mom's house a week later. Her hair was matted, her clothes dirty and she smelled bad. Marjorie made her daughter some lunch and ran bath water for her to take a bath. She went into her bedroom drawer and found some clothes for her daughter to put on.

“Are you on drugs?” asked Marjorie.

“No!” said Janice.

“You're lying to me,” said Marjorie.

Marjorie went into her purse and got the policeman's card. Janice looked at home puzzled. Her mom told her the neighbor called the policeman the boys were eating food from trash cans in the neighborhood. After talking to the policeman, Janice was given a court date to meet in family court. When Janice and her mother went to court, the judge awarded custody of the boys to Janice's mother. Marjorie felt bad for her daughter losing her boys and let Janice stay with them. Two weeks later Marjorie notices her rings missing from her jewelry box. Then the flat screen TV in the guest room was missing. Marjorie knew for certain it was Janice taking things from her house and she confronted her.

“How could you steal things from me!” exclaimed Marjorie.

“What are you talking about,” said Janice.

“You are on drugs!” screamed Marjorie. “You get out of my house now!”

Janice begged her mother not to kick her out of her house. Marjorie was firm about her leaving threatening that she would call the police if she didn't go. Janice grabbed her bag with her clothes inside and left her mother's house.

On her way to the bus stop, she spotted Chuck sitting inside a white jeep at the Qik-Save convenient store.

“Hey man,” said Janice.

“What's up?” said Chuck.

“Can I get a ride across town?” asked Janice.

“Nah,” said Chuck. “I got my old lady with me.”

Janice looked hurt at Chuck's response. A tall blonde curvy woman came out of the store and got into the passenger seat of the jeep. Janice stood looking in the parking lot as Chuck and the woman drove away. Janice sat on the bench near the store to wait for the bus to come. Janice began doing illegal things to get money to support her drug habits on the streets. She got arrested and the judge gave her sixty days in jail. After getting out, Janice began sleeping under the bridge underpass with the rest of the homeless people. This went on for the next three years. Janice and the rest of the homeless would line up at St. Augustine Baptist Church for breakfast and lunch before returning to the underpass. Janice kept a picture of her boys that she would look at every night before she went to sleep. She made a promise to them that she would change, and they would be a family again. Winter came in Palmer that December, it was the coldest winter in years. The homeless was gathered up by EMA's and put onto buses to got to cold weather shelters around the city. The bus Janice was on went to St. Augustine Baptist church. The church kept their cold weather shelter in their basement. The homeless was gathered on six buses throughout he city in groups of a fifty. The group was led downstairs to the basement by church volunteers. The volunteers took shifts in seeing after the homeless needs through the night and day. One of the volunteers was Janice old senior high school teacher Mrs. Otis. She was always a kindly little old lady with slump posture and a kind smile. Mrs. Otis looked at Janice and recognize her.

“I know you.” said Mrs. Otis.

“Yes Ma'am,” said Janice.

Janice was happy to see a kind face that she knew. She explained to Mrs. Otis about how she became strung out on drugs and her losing her boys. Mrs. Otis's daughter Pamela works for Bradford outreach program. Bradford helps people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol addictions to get treatment for their problems.

“Do you want to get better?” asked Mrs. Otis.

“Yes, I do,” said Janice.

Mrs. Otis called her daughter Pamela. Mrs. Otis told her daughter she would bring Janice in her office in the morning to talk to her. Janice began to cry telling Mrs. Otis no one ever offered her help to get off drugs not even her own mother. Mrs. Otis hugged Janice shoulder and assured her that she has the help now. Janice got up early the next morning and made her cot. The volunteers brought hot coffee and donuts down to give to the homeless people. Some people left that morning going back to the overpass while some stayed. Mrs. Otis gathered her things placing in them into large tote bags.

“Are you ready?” asked Mrs. Otis.

“I'm ready,” said Janice.

She and Mrs. Otis left for the treatment center. When they arrive, Mrs. Otis's daughter was waiting from them outside by her car.

“Hello,” said Pamela. “Are you ready for a new life.”

“Yes, I am,” said Janice.

Pamela talked with Janice about the thirty-day treatment program. After Janice got through with the thirty-day program. She would need to enroll in a twelve-step program to keep her recovery. Janice would be placed in a half-way house monitored by the courts to help with supervised visit with her boys. Pamela gave her a brochure about SCALES program that helps addicts with on-the-job training to become skilled workers. Janice started and completed her program. She continued with the twelve-step program to keep her sobriety. After going to court she was ordered supervised visitations with her sons. During her stay at the halfway house, she joined a bible study program and got a permanent job through the SCALES program. Janice joined the St. Augustine Baptist Church congregation and now she helps with volunteering. She wanted to be able to help another lost soul receive help so they may have a new beginning.