Sandpaper Sisters: Addicts Turned Community Builders, Miracles Do Happen!

By Michele McKnight Baker

Study of seven women addicts who enter New Life for Girls, a faithbased addiction treatment program. Follow the women as they go from the streets through treatment to transformation into contributing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932902481
• ISBN13: 9781932902488
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Faithwalk Pub
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Amazing Insights

Michele Baker's writing style makes Sandpaper Sisters both a comfortable and captivating read. The experiences and observations shared from Dr. Baker's immersion research with women susbstance addicts 'hits home' and enables the reader to feel the pains and gains of her study group. Individuals who are not aware of the grip illicit drugs have on users will gain a deeper understanding of this social problem that many people do not fully comprehend. Sandpaper Sisters presents one form of successful rehabilitation treatment from faith-based sources. Lessons that can be learned from Dr. Baker's research should be utilized to facilitate substance-abuse rehabilitative care in private and public sector programs. Terry E. Sirois, Ph.D. The Strategy Center, Annapolis, MD

Change is Possible

Reading Sandpaper Sisters opened my eyes to what really goes on in a faith-based residential substance abuse treatment program for women. If you or someone you know struggles with the problem of addiction, I recommend Sandpaper Sisters, which captures the voices of women "on the streets", during, and after recovery. Sandpaper Sisters is about the success stories of former addicts helped through a residential faith-based treatment program, the first of its kind in the U.S. and the model for others. What makes the program successful, according to these women? Resident Jade observes that, "With the secular programs there's not a family, a community. The atmosphere of the secular program is, you gotta get your life together and that's that......There is no bonding. Not like here.This atmosphere is a family atmosphere." Another resident, Africa, "says it's important to have street knowledge to counsel effectively: 'I was in a lot of secular programs with counselors who did not have street experience. I knew they couldn't help me.' " Faith has a mysterious power to transform. The author, Dr. Michele McKnight Baker, lived with former addicts who described themselves as changed people. King Whitney Jr.'s observation about change applies: "Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better". Reading Sandpaper Sisters encouraged and inspired me because in it I found addicts who gained hope and confidence, were able to change, and went on to become community builders. Miracles do happen!