Recovery can be an isolating journey, but for Theresa, it became the foundation for the most meaningful friendship of her life. At Paul’s Place, she met Mitzi, another mother fighting to reclaim her children and rebuild her life. What started as shared circumstances became an unbreakable bond that continues to anchor both women in their recovery today.
“We didn’t know that we needed it,” Theresa reflects on their friendship. “It’s just like a family that we didn’t know we needed.”
Meeting in the Midst of Struggle
Both Theresa and Mitzi arrived at Paul’s Place after completing rehabilitation programs, both facing the complex process of family reunification while navigating early recovery. They were both single mothers, both determined to do whatever it took to bring their kids home.
“We have very similar stories,” Theresa explains. “Our ex-husbands are the same person pretty much; their actions have proven to be the same in many, many ways.”
This shared experience created an immediate understanding between them. They didn’t need to explain the shame, the fear, or the overwhelming nature of rebuilding their lives while fighting for their children. They simply understood each other in a way that few others could.
From Neighbors to Family
Their friendship deepened through proximity and shared experience. They lived in rehabilitation together, then moved to neighboring transitional housing units at Paul’s Place. When Theresa was able to move into housing so her children could come home, Mitzi moved right next door.
“We lived next door, we lived here together, we live next to each other,” Theresa laughs. “This is the love story we’ve been looking for.”
But this isn’t just about convenience, it’s about intentional support. Both women recognized they were stronger together than apart, and they’ve structured their lives to maintain that mutual support.
Accountability in Action
Theresa credits Mitzi as one of three people who made a lasting imprint on her life, alongside her counselor Natasha and case manager Harmony. Mitzi provides something unique: peer accountability from someone who truly understands the stakes.
When you’re in recovery with children depending on you, accountability isn’t just about staying clean, it’s about becoming the parent your children deserve. Theresa and Mitzi hold each other to that standard daily, celebrating victories and providing support during challenges.
“It feels good for both of us to stand on our own two feet without them [their ex-partners], being the best versions of ourselves,” Theresa explains. This mutual empowerment has been crucial for both women as they’ve learned to establish healthy boundaries and make decisions based on what’s best for their children.
Creating Extended Family
The friendship extends far beyond the two mothers, their children have become like siblings. “Our kids love each other, they love me, I love them,” Theresa shares. “My kids love her, her kids love my kids, love me, I love them. It’s just a huge wonderful family.”
This extended family dynamic provides crucial support for both mothers. Single parenting in recovery comes with unique challenges, and having another mother who understands those challenges makes all the difference. When Theresa feels overwhelmed with her three boys, Mitzi understands. When Mitzi needs support, Theresa is there.
The children benefit enormously from this arrangement as well. They have additional adult support, more siblings to play with, and they’re growing up seeing what healthy, supportive relationships look like.
Breaking Cycles Together
Both women are acutely aware that they’re working to break generational cycles of addiction and dysfunction. Theresa often reflects on the statistics showing that children of addicts are more likely to become addicts themselves, and she’s determined to beat those odds for all their children.
“I think it’s important to teach my kids compassion because they’re the products of two addicts,” Theresa explains. Having Mitzi’s children as part of their extended family gives all the kids additional role models and support systems as they grow up.
The mothers model healthy conflict resolution, mutual support, and recovery practices for their children daily. Instead of the chaos and dysfunction their children experienced during active addiction, they now see stability, cooperation, and love.
Supporting Each Other’s Dreams
Theresa is pursuing education in counseling, while Mitzi has her own goals and aspirations. They support each other’s educational and career pursuits, understanding that individual growth strengthens their friendship and their ability to provide for their children.
“If I hadn’t gotten clean, I would have never met her,” Theresa reflects. Their friendship is proof that recovery can lead to relationships and opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible during active addiction.
The Power of Chosen Family
For both women, this friendship represents something profound: chosen family built on mutual support rather than obligation or dysfunction. Theresa grew up far from extended family; Mitzi faced similar challenges.
Together, they’ve created something new, a family structure based on shared values, mutual accountability, and genuine care. Their children are growing up with additional adults who love them, and both women have the support they need to maintain their recovery and continue growing.
“We’ve been looking for this kind of family,” Theresa says. It’s not the family either woman was born into or the families they tried to create during addiction. It’s something better: a conscious choice to build supportive, healthy relationships centered around recovery and the wellbeing of their children.
Lessons in Healthy Relationships
This friendship has taught both women what healthy relationships look like. After years of toxic, codependent, and abusive partnerships, they’ve learned to create boundaries, communicate openly, and support each other without enabling harmful behaviors.
“We’re able to make boundaries and stipulations,” Theresa explains, referring to how they both handle relationships with their ex-partners. “We’re the moms, we’re the ones who fought for our kids and won.”
Having a friend who understands and supports these healthy choices makes it easier to maintain them, especially when outside pressures might tempt them to fall back into old patterns.
A Model for Recovery Community
Theresa and Mitzi’s friendship demonstrates the power of peer support in recovery. While professional support from counselors and case managers is crucial, peer relationships provide something different: understanding from someone who has walked the same path.
Their bond shows how Davis Community Meals and Housing creates more than just individual success stories, they build community. By housing people with similar experiences together and providing ongoing support, DCMH creates opportunities for meaningful relationships that support long-term recovery.
Looking Forward Together
Both women are now living independently with their children, but they’ve maintained their close friendship and mutual support. They live as neighbors, their children continue to be like siblings, and they continue to hold each other accountable in their recovery.
Theresa is preparing for her career in addiction counseling, and she knows she’ll draw on everything she’s learned from this friendship. The experience of being truly supported by someone who understands her journey has shown her what effective peer support looks like.
“There’s certain people that you come across in life that make an imprint on you,” Theresa reflects. Mitzi is one of those people, not just because of what she’s given Theresa, but because of what they’ve built together.
The Ripple Effect
The friendship between Theresa and Mitzi creates ripple effects throughout their community. Their children are learning about healthy relationships, mutual support, and recovery. Other clients at Paul’s Place see what’s possible when people support each other genuinely.
As Theresa prepares to become a counselor herself, she’ll carry forward the lessons learned from this friendship about the power of peer support, chosen family, and mutual accountability in recovery. Their friendship is proof that recovery doesn’t just restore what was lost, it can create something entirely new and beautiful.
Through the supportive environment at Davis Community Meals and Housing, their story shows that healing happens not just individually, but in community, and that the relationships formed in recovery can become the foundation for lifelong stability and joy.
“There’s still hope,” Theresa says. And through friendships like hers with Mitzi, that hope multiplies and spreads, creating stronger families and communities for everyone.
Davis Community Meals and Housing creates community and connection alongside housing and support services. The relationships formed at Paul’s Place often become lifelong sources of strength and accountability. To learn more about our comprehensive approach to recovery support, visit https://daviscommunitymeals.org/ or contact us at (530)756-4008.