Executive director of Beauty for Ashes outlines 'Soberhood' and Mama's Meetup to support mothers in recovery

The executive director of the nonprofit Beauty for Ashes described a program called Soberhood and a related Mama's Meetup aimed at supporting mothers moving from substance abuse to sobriety. She said the initiative focuses on meeting women "where they are in between substance abuse and sobriety," offering peer support and practical help to navigate systems.

The presenter said Mama's Meetup specifically "removes the barrier of childcare for supportive services," allowing mothers to attend recovery and empowerment activities that previously could not accommodate children. Drawing on her prior work at an empowerment center, she said the center was "not safe for children" because some attendees arrived intoxicated or with active disease, which helped motivate a different model. She also described clients who had been victims of human trafficking and faced stigma, saying "nobody really understood what it looked like to be a victim of human trafficking and walk that walk." The presenter characterized Soberhood as a safe space "to be able to serve, carry, and help nurture these moms."