Fun loving, feisty, a four foot eleven spit-fire are just a few words that describe Cheryl Jones a resident of Transitional Housing, Inc.  However, Cheryl will be the first one to tell you that she was not always the charming, positive lady that she is today. "I was married for more than 19 years. I turned to alcohol and drugs to numb myself from years of abuse. And it wasn't one sided, I gave it back too. After years of abuse, I finally just couldn't take it any more and I walked away. I left everything. My home, my car, my clothes. . . everything. I was destitute and homeless." That wasn't the end of the challenges Cheryl faced. She was incarcerated and spent approximately two years in other treatment and work release. 

"By the time I got to THI, I was like a caterpillar in a cocoon. I stayed to myself, tucked away. I didn't talk with many people. I didn't want anyone to 'know my business.' When you have gone through abuse like I have, you just don't trust people. But after about three months at THI, I started to change.  I began to draw again. I hadn't done that in years. When staff and residents saw my work, they encouraged me to do more. I am proud that my artwork is being used to celebrate THI's 20th anniversary. THI has played a big part in my recovery. They cracked my shell. I stuck a toe out and then an arm and now here I am. I'm a different person today, I'm like the butterfly." 

Ms. Jones celebrates her more than three years of sobriety. She is a role model for other residents at THI. She plans to use her creativity and drive to help herself and her family overcome poverty and homelessness. "I feel my past may be a stumbling block to my finding a job and building a career. Sometimes it frightens me when I fill out an application. I am truly changed and have faith that all things are possible. I want to continue with my art, find a job working in a hospital dietary department for which I have experience. It's not just for me; it's for my daughter too. I plan to have a home where my daughter and I can live.  One that no one can ever take away from me."