Giving
Back Brings Healing to Girls in Recovery
On Thursdays, it's give-back
day. That's when the girls in recovery at LSS
Nord House in Golden Valley pile in the van and head to a volunteer
activity in the community.
Laura Robertson, 19, a
graduate of Nord House, remembers those days well. In fact, service to the
community is a basic building block in her ongoing recovery.
"What keeps me sober today is
giving back to others," Laura said.
Laura started drinking in
eighth grade. At first, drinking was fun. It made her feel older and
better about life. Then, she began bringing a bottle to school and
drifting through class in a drunken stupor. "Eventually, I passed out
during videos and began taking tests I couldn't read," she said.Pretty
soon, she got caught. She started a Fairview treatment program and came to
LSS Nord House, a program that provides lodging and counseling support for
teenage girls going through outpatient treatment.
"I was pretty angry," Laura
said. "I didn't think I had an alcohol problem. But within a few days, I
began to think differently. I was at a breaking point and a counselor at
Nord House was there to listen. That was the starting point for change."
"When she became an early
teen, we could tell she was going through something," said her mother,
Donna. "She shut us out completely. I always thought we were close, so
when we hit those bumps in the road, I was devastated."
Laura said she and the other
girls in recovery became like sisters. They learned how to have fun
without alcohol. "That was one of the gifts Nord House gave me. I got to
laugh and have fun when I was sober!"
Today, Laura is clear-eyed,
confident and bringing healing, as a mentor, to other girls who are
recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.
"It's
pretty easy for your thoughts to revert back to old friends and how angry
you were when you were drinking," Laura explained. "Giving back stops the
selfish thoughts and turns them into selfless ones. You don't have time to
think about yourself when you are thinking about others!"
The family has healed as well.
"We goof around and laugh and are silly and serious," said her mother. "We
do have a good relationship."
LSS Nord House works hard to
accomplish two goals: support families and give girls opportunities to
make changes that lead to better choices in their lives.
Creating situations, including
volunteer opportunities, where kids can be successful and feel good about
their accomplishments is an important tenet of the program. Girls often
spend a Thursday afternoon at Feeding Starving Children International in
New Hope where they prepare food packets for starving children around the
world. Other times, they visit animals at the Humane Society.
"They look outside themselves
and realize that they can impact others and the world in a very positive
way," explained Julie Shannon, program director. "We also try to
incorporate these values daily. For example, the girls learn how to help
each other by being supportive listeners or learning how to cook and serve
a meal for their peers."
Laura is now using her own
experience to reach out to others.
"She's found herself, and
discovered how she can serve," said her mother. "I'm amazed by her nearly
every day. She's happy with herself. She's happy with her life. It's all
there. And it shows!"
In 1993, Bill and Dee Nord
donated a home to LSS that became a place of safety and healing to more
than 400 kids. An impressive 88% of all girls enrolled have successfully
completed the program!
