Meet Amanda Ritter!

Meet Amanda Ritter!

Hello, my name is Amanda Ritter, I’m 38 years old and have 5 children. I’m also a nana to a 3-month old little girl. I’ve been a resident of The Community House on Broadway since December 12, 2023. Before coming to the Community House, the father of my children and I were raided by the drug task force in June of 2020. Prior to the father of my children going to prison, I ended up pregnant and was addicted to crack. I gave birth to my son, and he was born addicted. I was able to bring him home for a week until CPS stepped in and took him. Shortly after, we became pregnant again with my youngest, a daughter. I went to inpatient treatment to try and prevent her from being born addicted and taken by CPS as well. After she was born, I ended up relapsing in treatment and was kicked out. I had to hand my daughter over to CPS, and at that point my addiction took a hold on my entire life. My kids were in CPS, and I was just numbing everything. I didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. When my kid’s dad went to prison for 20 months, I was running the streets, lost, the kids were in foster care, and I was in full blown addiction. At that time CPS served me with adoption paperwork stating they were starting the process for my two youngest children to become adopted. On May 27, 2023 I checked myself into inpatient treatment again, I was scared and alone. Everything I had loved and cared about was gone. There was only one way to go, and that was up! Before entering treatment for the final time, I had been homeless, and had been in addiction for 20 years. That was the only life I have ever known. I had been in prison myself, with broken marriages, and my older children not knowing who I was. The more brokenness there was, the more I tried to numb, which then led to more brokenness.  I was in treatment for one month before being kicked out for my behavior. I knew that with the adoption process starting I couldn’t relapse; and I didn’t use that setback for an excuse to get high. I put my head down and went into an Oxford house. I was not progressing at the Oxford house, and that’s what brought me to the Community House. I heard about the Community House through a board member of the Oxford House I was in. My behavior at the Community House once again got me kicked out not even 24 hours later. I met with the Director the very next morning to redeem myself. The Director said she just wanted me to show back up for myself, and that’s when I decided to do the work. The Community House has been my greatest advocate. They have helped me in so many ways. My first step was meeting with AIS to complete my intake. That is where I was told my first lived experience story from an employee who had been working with the foster care system. I myself had only had negative experiences with the foster system and she shined light on the system which made me see a glimmer of hope through her story.  From there I met with my case manager, she was hard on me but that is how I operate best. I need someone to be very direct with me. It was a rough start to a great relationship. She went to bat for me many times when it came to my CPS case worker. My mental health clinician helped me become more open and gave me a safe place to share my thoughts, feelings, and get everything off my chest without feeling that my words would be used against me. Being able to process my thoughts and feelings and learning the tools to stop and breath without feeling like I was carrying so much of the world on my shoulders has been one of the greatest blessings. I also have an Employment specialist who has helped me pull what little employment history I do have into a great employment profile to help me become stable in employment. I had found employment, but I’m now currently enrolled at LCC in their welding program. My Housing Specialist has worked on getting me in contact with housing subsidies, by getting me signed up for any vouchers I qualify for. They also are helping me build my credit. I was in IOP which helped me identify my triggers and working through my barriers that resulted in my 20-year addiction. They have also taught me to be accountable for my actions, as well as see my self-worth and taught me to love myself. I successfully graduated treatment through Core Health on August 2024, and have been clean and sober since May 27, 2023.  With all the hard work I have been doing here at the Community House, my children are now on a trial to return home. Adoption has now been taken off the table, and I have my children five days a week. It’s because of my dedication and the staff at the Community House that continue to walk beside me that this has been made possible.

-Amanda Ritter