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By Laura LaRocca

Miracles do happen in Addison with Serenity House

Clear, calm, peaceful and quiet – this is the state of “serenity.” Most of us quite likely don't experience it enough, but all of us need it. When was the last quiet day at the office you had or the last quiet walk you took?

There are other things, not so pleasant, that can be quiet as well. Even a disease can be quiet, as it inflicts damage in a silent way.

Among these quiet enemies is the scourge of chemical dependence and substance abuse. For the countless people who are afflicted with this, true serenity is hard to come by. There is one organization that is devoted to helping such people attain true internal peace and quiet, and it makes its home right here in Addison .

Serenity House is a nonprofit, comprehensive, community-based treatment facility offering services to adult men and women suffering from the disease of chemical dependence and substance abuse. It started in 1985 as a four-bed cottage with two recovering residents.

“When we started Serenity House, we didn't even have cell phones,” said Henry Tews , Serenity House president and founder.

Now 20 years later, it is state of the art and its work is renowned.

Its annual banquet was held Jan. 28 at Empress Banquets in Addison . The event, like everything about Serenity House, was quite inspiring. Several individuals were honored for their efforts in support of Serenity House with various awards, along with political notables such as Congressman Henry J. Hyde and State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

All the award recipients had sincerely glowing words of admiration for this organization. But the words that were the most moving, were those of the three personal testimonial speakers. Their words painted a vivid picture of the horrors of addiction and the miracle of recovery, both remarkably powerful.

“To escape the world, I had to drink and use,” said one man, a past abuser of alcohol and drugs. “I was insane, Drugs were not a luxury but a necessity.”

One woman expressed deep gratitude for the assistance given to her father, who also struggled with both drug and alcohol addition. Unable to hold a job to provide for their family, he eventually skipped out on them altogether. Now, with the help of Serenity House, he is building both his life and his relationship with his daughter again.

“Today I am ecstatic, proud, overjoyed, delighted,” she said. “I am completely committed to his journey, and I have forgiven him.”

Another woman spoke of her own painful struggle with alcoholism. She would seek escape from her ravaged emotions through drinking. At one point, she could not last 30 minutes without having a drink. She has found her way back to a healthy place with the help of Serenity House.

“There are no words I can use to express what Serenity House and their staff deserve,” she said. “It is an amazing program. I love who I have become, and the possibilities of who I can yet become are endless.”

Lisa Snipes , Director of Development for Serenity House, said she finds inspiration in her work there.

“To see the adversity and struggles that these people overcome, it is amazing,” she said. “Some of them have lost everything, but they reach deep into themselves to make changes.”

In light of the miraculous work Serenity House does, it also is amazing to think that some communities would turn this organization away.

“ Addison has been extremely supportive of us.” Snipes said. “We are fortunate and blessed to have our home here. Some communities would not welcome us, but Addison embraced us.”

According to Mayor Larry Hartwig, our community benefits from embracing this cause.

“We are very proud to have Serenity House as part of our community,” he said. “It is a great model for anyone who wants to help people in crisis. It really rounds out what Addison is all about. The bottom line is: people.”

It makes sense, then, that Topinka said to Hartwig during her keynote address, “You've got a great town!”

We do indeed have a great town. Its greatness comes from the people and organizations here, and all of us can be proud that Addison has embraced Serenity House and its invaluable work.

For more information about Serenity House, call (630)620-6616 or visit its Web site, serenityhouse.com.