HER-STORY
Everyone has the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. Pamela Frazier took action and, using her gift of imagination and spiritual-based truths, brought to life the manifestation of a recovery home for women. Her vision and dedication have transformed a dream into a reality, creating a sanctuary for those in need.
In the beginning...
The vision for N’ The Spirit began while founder Pamela Frazier was working at The Women’s Treatment Center. She saw women continuously returning to treatment because they did not have a safe place to live. It was her own recovery from drugs and alcohol and being a truth student at her church, Christ Universal Temple, that inspired the vision of starting a recovery home for women, that was safe, drug free and Spiritual.
The name N’ THE SPIRIT TRANSFORMATIONAL LIVING came to Ms. Frazier while she was participating in the Dream Series at her church. Pam began developing relationships with treatment centers for women and shared what N’ The Spirit was about. With the vision firmly etched in her heart, Ms. Frazier started searching for the perfect house to carry out the mission. She looked at several locations in all parts of Chicago until she found ‘the house’! It used to be a mansion, and was a singlefamily home with 3 floors, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a BIG living room and a big yard...her heart told her, “THIS IS THE PLACE”!
Allow your Vision to Grow
"It's not what the vision is, it's what the vision does." (Peter Senge)
Ms. Frazier knew a person who was a former client of TWTC and had been living in a Recovery Home, she shared the vision of N’ The Spirit with her. That person was inspired, and Pam trusted and needed the experience she brought to the table; so, she moved into the empty house until it was furnished. Ms. Frazier had no financial supporters at this time, so she raised the finances herself to get the house ready.
She had an Open House and invited Reverend Dr. Helen Carry who blessed the house; that day it was filled with lots of friends, church members, and family. Her friend and mentor Skip showed Pam what she needed to do, how to register with DASA to become licensed. He said, “2060.509 is where you will see the stipulations needed in order to open a Recovery Home and get licensed.” She followed this and N’ The Spirit was licensed within the first year. “We were thrilled when we our first lady came through the doors on March 6, 2003”, Ms. Frazier recalls.
N’ The Spirit could house 11 women, but only received 3. It was difficult because the women came without jobs or money to pay the fees most are required to pay when they live in a Recovery Home. It was a struggle to keep the bills paid and the house open; however, food was one need that the women could meet because they had food stamps.
Being a person in recovery herself, and Spiritual Truth Student, Pam knew the ladies needed 12 step program involvements, BUT she wanted it to also be SPIRITUAL, so she worked with the ministers Reverend Dr. Johnnie Colemon and Reverend Dr. Helen Carry who believed in her and assigned a teacher from the Johnnie Colemon Institute to teach classes weekly. Because of her own personal experience and knowledge, Pam knew the importance of building spiritual beliefs while working the 12 Steps of Recovery.
N’ The Spirit Today
"At the end it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” Denzel Washington
Ms. Frazier always knew that recovery must be addressed holistically and in the 20 years N’ The Spirit has been open, she has brought in people to teach nutrition, life skills, and sober fun, and even line dancing. Every year she takes the ladies to Wisconsin Dells for a time of fun and relaxation...some have never experienced this in their lives. N’ The Spirit has had three house managers, the first two came from other recovery homes, but the third was one who had gone through N’ The Spirit, showed great strength, and spiritual beliefs. She stayed with NTS for over ten years until she moved on to pursue personal interests.
N’ The Spirit has served over 350 women. Some have become Addiction Counselors, Evangelist, started their own business, employed with the post office, gotten married, and reunited with children and family. OUR ALUMNI keep in touch. Annually, the alumni gather for a potluck picnic in September during Recovery Month where they come and share their stories with the ladies who are currently in the home, giving them support, sharing phone numbers so the new ladies can call them or receive sponsorship.
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, N’ The Spirit has become a member of the Recovery Community Organization (RCO) UMARC and have incorporated Recovery Support Services as a part of our program. We now have addiction staff providing professional services which has broadened what we can offer. We continue to watch our ladies grow and develop a strong Recovery Journey.
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