EVERY WOMAN THAT WALKS THROUGH OUR DOORS
HAS A STORY....
Broken Pieces. Hard Truths.
A Past that Tried to Hold Her Down
But That's Not Where Her Story Ends...
THIS IS WHERE IT BEGINS...
"Once Chained" on the front. "Now Free" on the back..
Apparel available in T-shirts, hoodies, and zip-ups. All proceeds support scholarships for women who are unable to cover program fees, until employed.
ANGIE
Sobriety Date: September 27, 2004
Co-Founder / Executive Director Sisters Of Sobriety
My story took me 40 years to face and accept, another 10 years to be able to speak about it.
Today I have 21+ years of continued recovery from all and any mood altering substances...I am a women in long term recovery, one day at time, remaining humble, listening to those that came before me, and walking with my constant companion, my higher power...God
When I would sit in a therapists office, many over the years, to acknowledge my trauma as a child, I would have panic attacks, running out of that session and ran straight to drugs and alcohol. I had to forget! You see, at the age of 7 years old, a male cousin horribly abused me. This all happened when I was sent to live with our great Aunt, his mother.
I was physically, mentally, and spiritually abused by her. Beaten with a razor strap for not sweeping the floor right or going in the refrigerator, things like that. I remember we would be so hungry we ate dog food and pig slop, left over from the meals that were cooked for this family. It goes on and on...
1 year we lived in this horror, then my mother was told, "you need to go get those kids." And she did.
The only fond memory I have is that I went to a 2 room school, I was in 2nd grade. My teacher bought me socks and new shoes and that will forever be etched in my mind. I wasn’t able to keep them when I got home and again was beaten with that ole razor strap.
My trauma started as far back as I can remember, and to this day, there are many years of my childhood I cannot recall.
In my early recovery, my sponsor suggested I write a timeline to understand where I came from, why I did what I did, and who I am today. My older brother became my historian. I needed to know if my memory served my correctly.
So, with his help, we pieced together my life – from 1964, 4 yrs old, to 1999, 39 yrs old…my addictions began in 1972, 13 yrs. old…36 years…
· 22 treatment centers
· 11 mental health diagnoses
· 63 different homes
· 23 different schools
· 31 arrests
· 15 felonies, convicted of five,
· 21 misdemeanors,
· 1993 ended up in prison.
Through all of this, there was no hope, only survival. This was the beginning of a story I never wanted to face. I spent years running, only to be told, “wherever you go, there you are.” In 2004, 44 yrs old, I finally realized, I was the one I couldn’t escape…
I overdosed twice, one time needing to bring me back to life. I grew up with an abusive father that was an alcoholic. He abused my mother terribly. She would run, and he would find her. This is how I learned to run… to escape the brutality of my childhood. Please note, I am not blaming anything or anybody. I take full responsibility for my decisions & actions throughout my addictions.
The taste of alcohol started when I was 8 years old. I was my step fathers little bartender. Having to taste his Jim Bean and water to see if it was just right for him. Later at the age of 13, 7th grade, I was a full blown alcoholic and started my path of using hard drugs. Many, bad decisions, abusive relationships, for years, that's what I knew.
Until one day, God sent me an angel, my husband of 27 years now of this writing. I used the first five years of our marriage, and he always said to me, "I'm not going anywhere." He believed in me and taught me unconditional love.
But as the story goes, he finally had enough. He was leaving and taking our 4 year old daughter with him. I watched him drive away… and I crumbled.
That was September 27th of 2004. I sat in my living room, screaming into the silence, pleading, bawling, begging God to take the desire to use away. I was tired. I was so ready to finally surrender to something greater than myself.
Then a miracle happened...
I felt a touch on my shoulder, and I heard, "I am always with you."
Later, after that moment, I learned there’s is a difference between a spiritual awakening and spiritual experience in Alcoholics Anonymous. That was a profound spiritual experience for me.
I have not had a desire to use any and or mood altering substance since that day.
What I lived through in my past, is the path I walk today, to learn, to grow to live out my purpose and passion in life.
We opened Sisters of Sobriety in 2015. It is now 2026.
In 2012 I was certified as a Peer Recovery Coach (CPRC). In 2018, I became a certified as a State Certified (SCPRC), 2019 a Certified Community Health Worker, (CCHW). I have worked in 4 agencies as well as drug court, mental health court and today I have been blessed to have the opportunity to be God's feet at Sister Of Sobriety… sharing my experience, strength, and hope.
Today, I believe in myself, my family believes in me, my children have forgiven me, I am a confident women today, and most importantly, I know that God has always been by my side.
This is a life that I never, ever could have imagined. And as AA says, "those promises do come true."
Sisters of Sobriety is how I give back what was so freely given to me.
And it all started with socks and a new pair of shoes...
**These testimonials are shared in honor of Linda Towne, our first sister, who walked through our doors on
May 1, 2017 and was with us until September 15, 2017.**
Linda continued her recovery beyond Sisters of Sobriety and remained sober until her passing in August 2018.
Linda will always be a part of Sisters of Sobriety.
Her strength, her journey, and her commitment to sobriety continue to inspire the women who come through our doors.
The following is Linda’s story, written by her sister, Genny.
After her story, you will find a letter Linda wrote to Genny before her passing, a reflection of her heart, her growth, and the life she fought so hard to reclaim.
LINDA TOWNE
Sobriety Date: April 30, 2017
Resident at SOS: May 1, 2017 to September 15, 2017
Linda Towne,
She was the one everyone loved. The life of the party. She came to live with me, (her sister) when she got very sick from extended use of prescription drugs (prescribed to her legally).
She just couldn’t kick it.
I found Angie via neighbor. I called and her and Rick came down to my place immediately. They had just opening Sisters of Sobriety! They had a long chat and finally convince Linda to try one more time. That started her journey with SOS.
This was May 1st, 2017. Sisters of Sobriety opened their doors April 30, 2017…
She already had multiple medical issues, mostly caused by her years of prescribed abuse. The following year she was in and out of the hospital 9 times. Each time she would go in clean and come out dirty every time!!
I just couldn’t get the doctors to STOP giving her opiates.
The last time she had another major heart surgery. Which gave her life for about another year, doing dialysis every week.
SOS was wonderful in caring for her and keeping her spirits boosted.
She was always the caring sister with the BIGGEST smile, even though her kids and most of her family had pretty much disowned her through the processes.
Her last year all she would say is, “I have to outlive mom, because I don’t want her to see me die.” Well, our mom passed in July 2018, and Linda followed in August 2018. Less than 30 days later.
She passed at age 63.
I tried to help her in every way I knew how and that was tough love at times. I will always remember her huge HEART and her huge SMILE!! I love you Linda till the day I die.
ERICA
Sobriety Date: December 10, 2020
Resident at SOS: March 2021 toSeptember 2022
My story begins like many others, but my recovery is a story of hope, love and a power greater than myself. Addiction of all forms found me at a young age after years of trauma and abuse. I entered my first treatment center at the age of 14 with a crack/cocaine addiction and an eating disorder. I weighed 90 pounds and the doctor told my mom without serious changes the next 911 call could be my last. I spent the next 4 months being nursed back to health then in psychiatric and finally in adolescent treatment.
In treatment, I was introduced to my first Narcotics Anonymous meeting and found a place and people I felt understood me and a sense of belonging. I started the second half of my freshman year of high school being “that girl” and very out of place. However, it didn’t seem to faze me much because I had found people that understood me and a place I felt at home, even if it wasn’t amongst peers.
At 16 I had my first son and substituted recovery for motherhood. With just under 3 years of very much early recovery, I thought I had it all figured out. I stated clean from substances but for the next 5 years I was in and out of mental relapse. From stress and lifestyle, I got shingles shortly after I turned 22, Ill never forget what the doctor said “Does it hurt”, my response, “not too much,” then the last words “well it going to”
With that a script for 120 strong opiate pain killers was prescribed and with it my will, self-respect and moral compass soon followed. For the next years I battled opiate addiction among others, which spiraled totally out of control after the suicide of my children’s father and the termination of my parental rights.
I had felt like I lost everything I simply wanted to die, I was tired and ready. I knew suicide wasn’t an option since I had very recently experienced what that does to a family, yet somehow in my sick mind, I thought if I were to overdose it would end my suffering and cause minor collateral damage to my family. Boy the things we think under the influence?
I was on a mission of self-destruction and in one summer I had overdosed 7 times and was wanted in 5 counties and 2 states. I was incomprehensibly demoralized and couldn’t see a way out. After years of running and no luck with my death wish, I began to have a vague understanding that maybe God has other plans for me. I made a call while on the run in Chicago to Michigan and arranged treatment. In treatment I wanted change but struggled with surrender and my free will.
I learned later I’m kind of a control freak. It wasn’t until out of total desperation I turned to a recovery bible and prayed for a get out of jail free sign that my life would begin to change. I wanted God to give me a sign that my life how I saw fit would be okay, what I received was more out a sign from a stern parent than anything else. I blindly opened the bible to Matthew 5:17, “I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it”
I started to understand what I needed to do next was not going to be nice, there was no easy way out. I had done a lot of wrong and it was time to answer to that wrong, but what God showed me that day was that I would never have to do it along. It was going to hurt; hell, it was supposed to, but God was going to keep showing me what to do next as long as I asked and followed. I began to live my life with this ideology every day. God, thru prayer, I began to understand that treatment was a great start but I needed more if I was to be healthy and successful in the real world.
A tech at treatment but me in contact with Angie at Sisters of Sobriety. I had no money and there was no funding, I was in a different county.
but Angie would not turn me away. I later realized that Rick and Angie are just these people, the ones who help the most desperate and won’t turn them away when everyone else has all but thrown them out so long as you are teachable. I wasn’t always an easy resident but I remembered what I was told and always remained teachable.
Rick and Angie were the dynamic duo, one was hard and blunt when needed but could be motherly and comforting when you needed it too, the other, could teach you how to be a strong proud lady even though he was a man. When you added Dr. Melissa Wallager to the mix, they are truly a trifecta for success if you work for it. Melissa knows how to ask the hard questions and help you sit in the uncomfortable and work thru trauma and barriers to make you a better human.
These three people will forever be my family. I stayed at S.O.S. from March 2021 and coined out in July 2021 and then stayed as a house manager until August 2021. I would have probably stayed forever but it was time to go home to my children and face my sentencing. Rick drove me from Mount Pleasant to Gaylord then took me to the court house and got me situated in temporary housing. I’ll never forget that ride or that day, he told me with tears in his eyes that I always had a home and that they would always come for me. It was the first time in a long time that I believed words like that to be true.
Two months later while on drug court in my home county Angie made the drive once again to pick me up and take me to Chicago for the very last sentencing of my very last charge. She made it a trip for us true to Angie form and we stayed cozy in a hotel and ate good food. She was comforting when I needed and fun when I was stressed. The constant, she stayed by my side thru it all even after I was no longer in an S.O.S. program. Neither have ever left my side and I know they never will. This is what Rick and Angie due on a daily, they bring the hard stuff, the ugly that people don’t want to see in life they face on a daily and don’t give up.
They are warriors of God. My life is tremendously different today so much that it almost seems like another person’s life when writing this story. A great deal of that is thanks to Rick, Angie and Melissa and the Sisters of Sobriety house. I get to be so many things, mother, daughter, sister, wife, manager, recovery coach and so much more. I get to be a part of and give back what was so freely given to me in many ways but to finish full circle, I get to be a secretary on the board of directors of S.O.S
To be able to help women like me in recovery, has been life changing. My children have all either lived with me until they ventured into young adults or currently live with me and my relationships with them are built on honesty and integrity.
I thought my life was over but God was just starting to write me a new story, and Rick and Angie have been there every step of the way cheering me on.
HEATHER
Sobriety date is August 17, 2022
Resident at SOS: Summer of 2019 to February 14, 2020
February 29, 2020 to 2021
August 17, 2022 to June 2023
My recovery journey started in AA and NA meetings. I was desperate just to put together 24 hours sober. Some of those meetings were in jails and institutions. I would get out and relapse again. I prayed for a way out of the despair of alcoholism and addiction.
In 2019, I admitted myself into a psychiatric unit in Jackson, Michigan. I knew I couldn’t keep living the way I had been. I told them I wasn’t leaving this time unless they sent me somewhere that could truly help me.
They sent me to Meridian Rehabilitation in Waterford, Michigan. While I was there, I remembered all the times I had searched for sober living when I was desperate and lost. I told them again—I wasn’t leaving until I had somewhere safe to go. That’s when they directed me to a binder with sober living information, and I found Sisters of Sobriety.
Reading about the program gave me hope. When I spoke with Angie and was accepted into SOS, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time—possibility.
When I arrived at the house, a sense of peace came over me. I truly believe God brought me there. I was finally ready to do the work.
During my time at Sisters of Sobriety, I committed to my recovery. I spent my days learning the twelve steps, connecting with my higher power, doing the inner work, and finding peace in the quiet moments.
For the first time, I discovered a strength I didn’t know I had. After years of trauma, addiction, and domestic violence, I began to heal—surrounded by women who understood me.
Through my recovery at Sisters of Sobriety, I built a new relationship with my higher power and with myself. I’ve learned to live by “Thy will, not my will,” and to stay present, one day at a time.
I went on to serve as a Resource Coordinator at the Remus house and later as House Manager in Big Rapids.
Today, I live in Mecosta, own a small business, and stay connected to the recovery community through volunteer work and I am a proud member of the Board of Directors for Sisters of Sobriety.
Recovery didn’t just change my life…
It gave me a life I never thought was possible.
KATIE
Sobriety Date: September 16, 2018
Resident at SOS: September 16, 2018 to March 16, 2019
On September 14, 2018, I got on a Greyhound bus, taking four days from Texas to Michigan, to find my way to this amazing house of help called Sisters of Sobriety.
My Grandparents came to TX to drive my son to Michigan with them, due to an open CPS case, I was no longer able to be around my son, and they took guardianship of him.
I arrived on September 16, 2018—my first day of recovery.
Before I even got on that bus, I made sure to call Angie every single day for a week, so she knew I was serious about getting my life on track.
My stay at SOS was from September 16, 2018 to March 16, 2019. During that time, I found peace, serenity, forgiveness, and happiness. I learned patience, growth, and understanding. Today, I walk with my shoulders back and my head held high.
I have gained confidence in myself and in others. I now have 7½ years clean, and I owe that to the work I was willing to do, and to SOS, especially Angie and Rick, who helped guide me along the way.
My accomplishments have been full time employment for 7 yrs, bought my own home, and the most important accomplishment was to gain full physical custody of my son.
The following statement is more real than most people, inside and outside of recovery, truly understand.
“If nothing changes, nothing changes.”
ASHLEIGH
Sobriety Date: April 10. 2020
Resident at SOS: May 2020 to November 2020
On April 10, 2020, I went to rehab for my third attempt. When I arrived, I was broken and desperate. I had nowhere to live. My two children had been taken by Child Protective Services and were living with my mom. My family had completely cut me out of their lives. I was in an extremely toxic relationship, couldn’t keep a job, and had nothing but a backpack full of clothes.
After being in rehab for a month, they recommended sober living. I applied to a couple places, one was back in the area where I used, and the other was Sisters of Sobriety. I didn’t want to go to SOS at first because I thought it was faith-based, and I didn’t know where I stood with God. But the first place was full, and SOS had a bed open.
In May of 2020, I went to Sisters of Sobriety, and that decision changed my life.
While I was there, they had me take a hard look at myself. They introduced me to the Twelve Steps and helped me learn how to set boundaries. I began focusing on myself so I could become the best version of me for others. I learned how to have fun in recovery and experienced things like retreats that I had never been a part of before.
Being part of this sisterhood was something I had never experienced. I was loved unconditionally until I could finally love myself again.
Most importantly, they took me to church, and that is where I found my relationship with God. I was baptized, and while I was there, I felt the heaviness of my burdens lift. That is where I finally surrendered.
In November of 2020, I graduated from Sisters of Sobriety. Since then, I have held a job, gotten my own place, and enrolled in college. I have rebuilt relationships with my family, which led to the opportunity to see my children again after two years of no contact.
Today, my kids get to see their mom healthy for the first time ever. I have also met my fiancé, whom I will marry in April 2026. For the first time in my life, I am in a healthy relationship.
Sisters of Sobriety taught me to live with purpose and faith. Because of that, I am now living a life I never could have imagined.
BERNADETTE
Recovery date: December 11, 2020
Resident at SOS: May 2020-August 2020
From the moment I entered Sisters of Sobriety, I was enveloped in a comprehensive support system provided by the staff and fellow clients, laying the groundwork for my transformative journey of recovery.
This program served as a beacon of hope, illuminating my path to growth and healing through a profound sharing-is-caring approach, where I felt secure and trusted.
The staff provided expert guidance with clear directives, and the more I invested in my program, the more I reaped the benefits. My therapist was a pillar of support, offering a balanced blend of empathy and constructive honesty, with a meticulous approach that helped me confront my challenges.
Through a multifaceted program incorporating one-on-one counseling, group work, meditation, and fitness sessions, I was empowered to reclaim my former vitality, emerging stronger in mind, body, and spirit.
From the depths of my heart, I extend my sincerest gratitude to the exceptional staff and fellow clients at Sisters of Sobriety for helping me rediscover my inner strength, shed the weights that had held me back, and unlock a life of purpose and fulfillment.
You have not only restored my sanity but have also equipped me with a comprehensive toolkit to navigate life's challenges with confidence and resilience, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
With gratitude, Bernadette
DANIELLE, (Dani)
Sobriety Date: October 29, 2021
Resident at SOS: March 2022 – July 2022
I came to Sisters of Sobriety fresh out of jail, lost, confused, and more scared than I had ever been in my life. I was scared of myself and unsure of where to turn without the proper help I needed to stay sober outside of the walls that had kept me sober.
I walked into SOS one person and walked out a completely different one.
Angie, Rick, and Melissa saved my life. They helped me begin to take back everything I had lost to addiction, one step at a time. SOS showed me a new way to live. The program is simple, if you follow what has worked for others before you. “The program works if you work it.”
I watched. I listened. I did the work.
I am forever grateful. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for the opportunity and the door that opened when I walked into SOS. That door led me into a new way of living, and I will forever be proud of the woman I am today.
What does SOS mean to me?
FREEDOM.
A breath of fresh air that I couldn’t find while living in the depths of addiction. SOS pulled me out of my darkness and showed me light.
SOS saved me.
LEEAH
Sobriety Date: November 2, 2022
Resident at SOS: January 10. 2023 to February 2, 2024
My SOS journey started on January 10, 2023, I came directly there from Bear River Residential Treatment Center. When I first got to SOS, I was terrified. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I was going through a divorce, losing custody of my kids, and everything felt like it was falling apart.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I even liked it there. But the longer I stayed, the more I got involved and started putting in the work that needed to be done, I began to feel myself changing. My attitude started to shift. I was learning how to love myself again and figure out who I was without drugs.
Going to SOS saved me. It was the best decision I could have made.
Rick and Angie have helped me so much in my journey and continue to do so. I am so grateful to have SOS in my life.
I have been sober for 3½ years. My sobriety date is November 2, 2022.
LOGAN
Sobriety Date: April 14, 2023
Resident at SOS: May 18, 2023 to August 30, 2023
The day I began my recovery journey after 10 long years of addiction.
After completing a 30-day inpatient rehabilitation program, I knew sober living was the next step—but I was terrified. I had built connections in rehab, found a routine, and honestly, I didn’t want to leave. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the “real world” on my own.
What I knew for certain was this: I needed something stable, safe, and secure. I needed to be surrounded by recovery.
My dad and I searched and searched for the right place. When I came across Sisters of Sobriety, something inside of me just knew. Even though I was still scared, there was something about SOS that felt like…home.
I called Angie that same day. She was so excited to meet me and hear my story. From that very first conversation, I could tell she was the perfect mix of fun and tough—and that’s exactly what I needed.
One of my biggest fears in recovery was that I would never have fun again. I truly believed life would be boring without drugs and alcohol.
Sisters of Sobriety changed that for me.
They showed me that sobriety isn’t just meetings, groups, and therapy. It’s kayaking. It’s camping. It’s watching fireworks from the roof of DeVos on the Fourth of July. It’s laughing, singing in the car with friends, dancing, joking—and rediscovering all the things that make life beautiful.
It’s sisterhood. It’s family. In my three months at Sisters of Sobriety, I didn’t just stay sober…
I gained everything.
SUSIE
Sobriety Date: Dec 1, 2025
Resident at SOS: August 15, 2024 to December 10, 2024
SOS gave me so much that I didn’t even know I needed. It gave me structure when I had none. For the first time in my life, I was able to get along with other women and feel like I truly belonged.
Angie was understanding, and I felt like SOS genuinely wanted to see me grow and become a better person. I wasn’t treated like just another addict, I felt seen.
This was, by far, was my favorite sober living experience, and I have experienced many.
My sobriety date is December 1, 2025.
Since leaving SOS, my life has completely changed.
I earned my CNA license and have had a job that I love for over a year. I have repaired my relationships with my family. I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into my life and found a man who treats me the way I deserve to be treated.
I now have a home of my own. I am actively working a NA program and am currently on Step 4. I also successfully completed probation, for the first time in five years.
My life today is night and day from where I was. I never thought I would have the life I have now.
And it all started with getting clean, when I finally realized that I am worth it and that I deserve happiness.
COURTNEY
Sobriety Date: May 18, 2024
Resident at SOS: 2024 and Nov 2025 to present, now Alumni House Manager
In 2024, I walked into Sisters of Sobriety, and a seed was planted. I left and went back out, still searching.
I ended up getting on a plane to Michael’s House Rehab in Palm Springs, California. I stayed there for 18 months and got sober. During that time, I was hired as a pharmacy clerk, got my own place, and started rebuilding my life, but something was still missing.
Recovery.
I called Angie for months asking, “Can I come back?”
Her answer was simple: “Yes, come home.”
That was all I needed to hear.
In November 2025, I walked away from my job and used the last of my money to take a four-day train ride back to Michigan.
I returned to Sisters of Sobriety on November 20, 2025, with no job and starting over again.
But I had something more important, a safe place to be, a place to recover, and a place where I was supported.
Because of that, today I have 22 months sober, just for today.
My sobriety date is May 18, 2024.
Since returning to SOS, I have gotten a part-time job at a pizza shop. I completed training and received my Resident Advocate certification, as well as my House Manager certification. I completed the program and was coined for the second time.
Today, I serve as the House Manager at Sisters of Sobriety.
I now get to give to other women what was so freely given to me, and for that, I am forever grateful.
MARYANNE
Sobriety Date: May 28, 2024
Resident at SOS: July 2024 to January 2026
My experience with Sisters of Sobriety (SOS) has truly changed my life. Under the guidance, care, and love of Angie and Rick Kazemier, I have been able to rediscover who I am at my core and begin healing from things I never thought I could face.
Along the way, I have built deep, lifelong friendships with women who uplift and understand me. That support means everything.
I entered SOS in July 2024. In October 2024, I received my certificate and celebrated being coined.
After my coin out celebration, I stepped into the role of House Manager, where I served for 13 months. During that time, I gained experience, strength, and hope, along with the knowledge and compassion to help others on their own journeys.
This transformation has shown me the power of connection, courage, and choosing a new path forward.
CARA
Sobriety Date: November 13, 2024
Resident at SOS: December 20, 2024 to December 15, 2025
November 13, 2024 is the day my life began again. When I arrived at Sisters of Sobriety on December 20, 2024, fresh out of residential treatment, I carried both hope and uncertainty. I knew I wanted something different, but I didn’t yet know who I was without the weight of my past. In those early days, I learned to sit with myself in a way I never had before, honest, raw, and willing.
Slowly, through structure, support, and the power of connection, I began to understand that recovery wasn’t just about staying sober—it was about rebuilding a life I could be proud of.
Over the next year, I discovered parts of myself that had been buried for so long. I found my voice, my identity, and a level of self-confidence I never thought possible. I learned how to manage my life with intention, how to show up for myself and others, and how to lead with authenticity. Along the way, I was blessed with incredible experiences, traveling, trying new things, sharing laughter over great food, and forming friendships that will last a lifetime.
Each moment, big or small, helped shape me into someone stronger, more compassionate, and deeply rooted in love, for myself and for others.
When I left on December 15, 2025, I wasn’t the same person who had walked in. I left as an alumna, as a leader, and as someone who truly understands the gift of recovery.
It was suggested I apply to become a Certified Recovery Coach, I took the training, became certified, and I will be interning at Sisters Of Sobriety.
Sisters of Sobriety gave me more than sobriety, it gave me a life filled with purpose, connection, and hope.
Today, I carry that with me wherever I go, committed to giving back what was so freely given to me.
My journey is proof that transformation is possible, and that with willingness, support, and love, we can become more than we ever imagined.
KRYSTAL
Sobriety Date: September 1, 2025
Resident at SOS: June to July 2025, & September 1, 2025 to March 2026
My story starts like many others, on the brink of death. We all face trials and struggles, but mine took me to the ICU Twenty three times in five years. I am a Type 1 diabetic and an addict. I reached a point where I hoped I would just pass away in the hospital. I told myself it wouldn’t be suicide, but in reality, I was slowly killing myself.
Everything changed the day I chose to get drunk on my son’s sweet sixteen. Around that time, my mom found Sisters of Sobriety on Facebook. Little did I know, that was a God shot, He was calling me home.
I will never forget the four words that changed my life when I walked into SOS:
“Do you trust me?”
Those words came from The Co-Founder of Sisters of Sobriety, and for the first time in a long time, I said yes. In that moment, something shifted. I trusted for the right reasons. I trusted the program. I had faith.
There are not enough words to express my gratitude for SOS. I am alive today because of Angie, Rick, and Dr. Melissa Wallager. Today, I want to live.
Through this program, I found my voice, my self-worth, and my identity, things I had lost for so long.
I spent a total of eight months at Sisters of Sobriety. On day one, I was called “Baby Cry-A-Lot.” They said it was healing, I say it was fear. But as my journey continued, they taught me how to find my voice, build confidence, and truly find myself.
When I arrived, I had been approved for disability. But as I slowly gained confidence, I found a job. I walked to work through sub-degree temperatures all winter long, and for the first time, I felt purpose.
During my time at SOS, I earned certifications through Dr. Wallager as a Resident Advocate and House Manager. I am now pursuing CCAR to become a Recovery Coach, with hopes of becoming an RN.
My passion is to be a woman in recovery on the front lines, so when someone walks through the doors of an ER, they are met by someone who understands, someone who can relate.
And I will ask them the same four words that changed my life forever:
“Do you trust me?”
Big Rapids, Michigan | angiekazemier@sistersofsobriety.org
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