OpenDoor-Columbus Women in Recovery

OpenDoor-Columbus was founded by three moms. Leslie Kristoff and I were desperate for our daughters to stop using drugs and Rachel Muha was devastated by the death of her son killed by men high on drugs.

Three moms. One vision. Many goals.

Our lives were intersected by sadness, pain, heartache - and hope.  

Leslie and I have endured the suffering that comes when a loved one is drowning in the depths of addiction. Our families suffered in silence. And in isolation. Yet, it is these secrets that brought Leslie and me together in a friendship of shared pain. Shared uncertainty. Shared sadness. Shared isolation. And, while our beautiful daughters were spiraling in the depths of addiction, we had each other to dig out of the solitude and darkness.

This is our story. This is the story of our children who never met but brought us together.

In 2017, I was at my usual Al Anon (support group for families of loved ones suffering from addiction) meeting during lunch.  The room was full, and I felt safe. I listened as people shared their heartache, and even their joy. It is surprising that in a room full of people worried about their loved ones, there could be joy and even laughter.

It is in Al Anon I met Leslie. Her heart was broken. And heavy. And sad. When I looked at her, I saw my reflection.  

Leslie and I became fast friends, sharing our secrets, fears, and loneliness. Our daughters, who were once full of life, were now trapped by addiction. 

And we were trapped, unable to help them. Leslie shared with me she had a dream of starting a nonprofit to help women like our daughters. And after a lot of conversation of buying a semi-truck to turn into a mobile shower for women on the streets to buying a farm-we were ready to get busy. 

We reached out to Rachel for guidance. 

Rachel's son Brian was a student at Franciscan University when he was kidnapped and murdered by two young men high on crack. There are no words to describe that kind of piercing pain. No words. 

Instead of this defining Rachel as a victim herself, she has spent her life serving children like the ones that killed her son. Her life has been dedicated to children who are growing up in neighborhoods riddled with guns, drugs, violence, neglect, and abuse here in Columbus and Steubenville through the Brian Muha Foundation..

Rachel became the third member of our board.

We are not driving a semi-truck around town, and we haven’t bought the farmhouse yet, but we are bringing Hope, Help and Healing to women in our community.

OpenDoor-Columbus is a licensed user of the Open Table Model, which implements a theory of change based on research, replicable training, and measurable outcomes. 

OpenDoor-Columbus provides 1-year of free services (a Table) to a woman (a Friend) recovering from addiction. Tables are composed of 6-8 volunteers who complete 16 hours of training. The Table members make a year commitment to act as a team of advocates, encouragers, and mentors meeting once a week to support a woman as she transitions from incarceration, treatment or a court ordered program to living her best life.