TREATMENT FACILITY ADDS SERVICES FOR WOMEN

I.S.I.A.H. House For Men Expands For Third Anniversary

The I.S.I.A.H. House, which helps men battling with alcohol and drug
addiction, celebrated its third anniversary Saturday.

At the same time, the celebration helped launch Sarah House, a residential
treatment facility for women.

George Cunningham, clinical director-outreach coordinator for the founding
group, The Common Bond Association Inc., said women need the same kind of
grace he has experienced.

"Somebody believed in me, now I have to believe in others, and that is
everybody," said Cunningham, a recovering alcoholic who worked for a
Meridian beer distributor for 25 years before spending a year in the South
Mississippi Correctional Institute for armed robbery.

"It is hard to find a place to go after you leave traditional drug and
alcohol treatment or prison whether you are a man or a woman, and
especially if you are HIV positive."

The Jonah House at 825 S. Plaza Drive, where non-veterans live, will be
moved next door into a converted office building within a month. The former
Jonah House will become the Sarah House with 15 to 20 women. Veterans live
in I.S.I.A.H. (Innovative Solutions in Assisting Homelessness)House.

"We have already accepted two women for admission when Sarah House opens,"
said Cunningham. "We have hired Theresa Guillot as director."

Male residents are busy converting the office building into the new Jonah
House.

Multicolored patterns on the tile floors are more from necessity than by
design.

"We had tile donated that was different colors, so the men got to use their
creativity," said Cunningham, who said cash donations and single beds are
needed. "When we are finished, we will house over 100 people providing drug
and alcohol treatment and job placement to get them back into society."

Tomie Green, 50, said the biggest asset I.S.I.A.H. House offers is time.
"You can't make it after two or three weeks in treatment," said Green, a
former firefighter and emergency medical technician from Grenada who left a
three-week treatment program at St. Dominic Hospital for I.S.I.A.H. House.
"You will go back to doing what you were doing."

Green spent the traditional six months in treatment at I.S.I.A.H. House and
is now into his ninth month after being given responsibility over a
residence hall at the facility.

"I worked at a job recently, but if I earn the money I will just go and
spend it," said Green, who has spent time in prison on two separate drug
convictions. "I need to spend my time on my work here with the residents of
this place."

Green said he lost his focus and drive living among other addicts on the
street.

"You get into a cycle of being abused and abusing others," Green said.
"Coming to Jackson has been very good for me because I have been able to
put my life back in focus and work for a purpose helping others."