TRI-CITY GROUP GIVES FORMER ADDICTS HELP TO MOVE ON

Alisha Smith-Page smiled as her son pulled colorful toys out of a
basket under the TV.

He just turned 1 and has blond hair that curls at the nape of his
neck. "I love them," Smith-Page said of the curls as she gently
smoothed them. Caleb giggled and picked up a stuffed spider.

He's an easy baby, and life with him is good, said the 31-year-old mom
from Kennewick.

Life is so different now. Smith-Page is a recovering meth addict and
has been clean for 21 months. She has a job and a plan for her life.

She also found a nice place to live with her son, no easy feat because
of the felonies on her rap sheet.

A Richland nonprofit called Elijah Family Homes helps her with rent.
The group reaches out to people like her who don't qualify for public
housing but can't yet make it on their own.

She's not sure what she'd do without them and is glad she doesn't have
to find out.

"I don't want to say I wasted half my life, but it's been a rough
road," Smith-Page said. "It's made me who I am today."

First steps

Elijah Family Homes started about three years ago as a ministry of
Christ the King Catholic Church in Richland.

Some parishioners were taking a class there on social justice and
wanted to do more than talk about making a difference.

The group became separate from the church last year and has its own
nonprofit designation. It has five tenants -- all single moms, though
single dads and couples are eligible -- and provides them money for
rent on a sliding scale. It also provides support services and works
with other social service agencies.

Group leaders decided to focus on housing because that's where they
saw the greatest need, said Barbara Puigh, Elijah Family Homes president.

"The ultimate goal is self-sufficiency for the families. But if you're
making minimum wage, you can't be self-sufficient with five kids," she
said. "The first step is getting a roof over their heads."

Elijah Family Homes tenants are low-income but have been turned down
for public housing, many because of felony convictions related to drug
use.

Tenants with a history of drug abuse must be in or have completed a
recovery program and be clean for a year. They agree to undergo random
drug tests to confirm they remain clean.

There's a waiting list for the program.

"Our at-risk folks, it's real hard to find housing for them ...
There's no place for them. They can't find rental places. They can't
find any kind of housing," said Ronda Evans, executive director of the
Kennewick-based 4People, an online social service database.

"Elijah Family Homes is a model that needs to be duplicated by other
faith-based organizations."

The program is different from the Elijah House program for men
transitioning from jail or prison that recently was featured in the
Herald. But both share a name with the biblical prophet.

When Elijah was in need, a poor widow gave him what she had. Elijah
later healed her sick son.

Leaders of the Richland group said seeing tenants gain independence is
their reward.

"It's a struggle to go through your past and go beyond that and start
a whole new life," said Judy Dirks, a Tri-City social worker and
Elijah Family Homes board member. "(The program) is just a beginning.
The need is tremendous out there."

New life

Smith-Page started using meth when she was 14.

She quit when she got married and had twin daughters, who now are 12,
and a son, who's 11. But then she started using again. Her older kids
live with their father in Oregon.

Smith-Page has three felony convictions and says she has been in jail
"more times than I can count." All her arrests were because of her
drug use.

She moved to the Tri-Cities from Oregon in 2001 hoping for change. It
didn't immediately come, but during a stint in jail here she met a
minister who started talking to her about forgiveness.

"I was tired of living that way. I just woke up one morning and I was
done," she said.

She entered a treatment program and a few weeks later discovered she
was pregnant. Caleb was born in December 2006.

Smith-Page became an Elijah Family Homes client in November. The group
has helped 13 families since 2005.

Program leaders also point to Pattrisha Mercado as a success story.
The 35-year-old lives with her five kids in Kennewick. She used meth
for 12 years before getting clean 4 1/2 years ago.

She's the daughter of Minnie Pesina, who was well-known in the
Tri-Cities as a Hispanic activist. Pesina died in 2006 after a long
battle with liver disease. Before she died, she saw her daughter
change her life.

Mercado has a picture of her mom on the fridge.

"Somebody asked me once if I was ready to fill her shoes. I don't
think anyone can. She was a very, very accomplished woman," she said.

But she's racking up her own accomplishments. Mercado balances working
full time with caring for her boisterous clan. Her kids are ages 2 to
16.

She's also going to school to become a drug counselor.

Mercado attends Elijah Family Homes' monthly tenant meetings and meets
regularly with the mentor she was assigned through the program. They
talk about everything from family problems to finances.

"They've shown me how to live again," Mercado said.

Smith-Page is grateful too.

"I know God has a plan for me. I'm just kind of excited. It's crazy
how many blessings you get when you live your life right," she said.
"I look forward to giving back to society what's been given to me."

Dreams for the future

Smith-Page lives at the end of a quiet street. There's a plaque by her
front door that says, "Live one day at a time."

Underneath it is a cross.

She has a Bible and a copy of The Purpose Driven Life on a table in
her living room. She reads them every day.

Smith-Page is small and looks much younger than 31. She's friendly and
open about her painful past. She likes talking about the future.

There are photos of Caleb all over the house and his toys are lined up
against the walls.

She's doing bookkeeping for a trucking company and works part time for
a church. She plans to go back to college.

Some of Elijah Family Homes' tenants have relapsed after joining the
program. Smith-Page won't say that'll never happen to her, but today
she's feeling good.

"It's been almost two years. I rarely even think about it anymore. The
further I go the less of a desire I have," she said.

She picked up her boy and started to play.