WOMEN'S & MEN'S SOBER LIVING new hampshire

“My name is Marcello Terino and this is my story at Magnolia House. I first met Jules on January 10th 2023, I can’t forget this date because it was a cold, snowy day and I had nowhere to go after Rockingham County released me on Saturday January 7th. I had slept in a warming shelter for 3 nights for the first time in my life not knowing where I was going to live and how I would be able to survive.

After hearing about Magnolia House I sent an application Monday afternoon and by 2pm the following day she had a bed for me and got me home. I had no food or money at this time and she immediately brought me to the grocery store and I picked all the food I liked and needed without ever wanting anything back from me.

I lived in the house for 4 months happily, with the guys around me and her becoming like family. I was able to get the “perfect job” or so I thought and I made an impulsive decision to move out of the house and onto the beach to be closer to work, against the advice from all the people around me who cared about me and my recovery.

After I left, Jules still invited me to family dinners and outings the houses went on, and let me spend time with her dog Oliver which was very therapeutic for me. I relapsed 2 months after leaving for about 30 days. At first it was hard for me to admit, but after talking with Jules about it, I agreed to go to treatment. The day after I agreed she and the house leader of the women’s house showed up at my apartment in the morning to help me pack, lovingly and compassionately and understood I was scared. I was allowed to stay at Magnolia House until I was able to get into treatment. This house was being slightly remodeled so it wasn’t operating as sober living. Jules helped me navigate getting my insurance active with the company I was working for, finding a treatment center and getting there. I stayed with her for 5 days waiting to go to NH Detox. I was there for 7 days and then went to Avenues in Dublin for 50 days. I stayed in contact with Jules throughout my time in treatment and when I graduated from Avenues she saved a bed for me.

I had to go to Vermont to take care of warrants from 2018 before coming back to Hampton, I ended up stuck there for 2 weeks and had another small relapse. Jules continued to make me feel supported and paid for a Grey Hound bus ticket for me to get back to Hampton and away from Vermont with all of my warrants cleared. After coming back for the second time I was greeted with love from Jules and the guys I was here with. I had nothing once again, so Jules took me food shopping again and clothes shopping to pick out what I wanted because I had left mine at someone’s house when I left Avenues. My belongings never made it back to me. She allowed me to come back with no money and graciously allowed me to stay here while waiting for scholarship funds to piece together which didn’t cover even half of what I owed at the time. It took me 2 months to find a job that worked with Rockingham county drug court’s group times and someplace that was healthy for me and my recovery. Jules hasn’t asked for any money from me, and has personally supported my re-entry into drug court and sober living. Jules and Magnolia House has done more for me and my recovery than 99% of the people in my life. I am so grateful to have met her and the guys I call my family. She goes above and beyond for me, and everyone else in the houses.

Magnolia House has supported me financially and emotionally, given me stability in my life and showed me nothing but love and compassion. The house we live in is gorgeous, everything she gets for us is new and is to make us feel more comfortable and like worthy humans. This experience has impacted my life so drastically I can truly say I don’t know how I would have done anything in Hampton, and don’t know where I would be without Magnolia House in my life. I am beyond grateful for everything that’s been given to me and can’t express how much she genuinely cares about everyone in the house’s. She has done everything she can to make these houses homes for us and I am so grateful for that.” – Cello

“Being a dad has always been my first priority. Magnolia House has helped me put them over my addiction again. When I arrived a year ago uneasy, full of fear and anxiety I didn’t know how I would cope without my family by my side. Through AA ,the community based model at Magnolia, group meetings, sponsorship, house dinners and yearly camping trip I have gained a second family that supports me unwavering in my sobriety.

Through Magnolia’s parental unification program I am able to have my children, in our own apartment, two nights a week. Being able to nurture our bond during these visits has enabled our relationships to reach greater heights than I ever thought possible in sobriety. Today I am a loving father, trusted employee, community leader and better person. overall I am a better person than I was the day I walked through the door at Magnolia House. I am truly grateful for this program and the people in it for creating an environment where I can grow and achieve the goals I set for myself and my future.” – Rik

“Being in sober living has changed my life. I was a heinous drug user and I survived a handful of drug overdoses. I’ve lied to my loved ones and stole from my family. I didn’t know how to love myself or even grieve, because I used drugs to mask all my feelings.
In May of 2022 I was arrested by the federal DEA and sent to Merrimack County, from Merrimack Country correctional Facility I was transferred to Strafford County Correctional. At Strafford County I joined a 90 day program called T.C. (Therapeutic Community) and I completed that program.

While being incarcerated I got 2 warrants cleared and was able to get P.R. bail to Turning Point, an out-patient program also that’s 90 days. From Turning point I moved into Magnolia House with the recommendation of my federal probation officer.
I arrived with very limited life skills but with the help and support of my housemates I learned the tools of recovery and how to deal with everyday problems without escaping with drugs. Sober living basically was my only real option. I ended up living with guys that were just like me, so it was easy to make friends. I had chores to do and house rules to follow along with random U.A.s. We all went to AA meetings together which created strong connections and we all have sponsors. I’ll admit that sober living was a little uncomfortable at first for me because I was living with people that I didn’t know. By doing this, over time I was learning how to be uncomfortable and with that came internal growth and self-awareness. I now look at my sober mates as true brothers. It’s a good experience when you bond with someone and grow with them to you get to watch them thrive and continue to live a sober life when they move on. It’s also hard to see some of them fall and give up everything they worked so hard for, if I’m honest, I can get sad over seeing one of my brothers fall and I just want to catch them but I know that I can’t.

While being here I built a strong sober network and have plenty of sober advice to receive when I’m having a tough day and even offer solid advice when someone else is struggling. I’ve found purpose and meaning while living here. We thrive to be the best versions of ourselves, we cook amazing meals together, we clean regularly and take pride in where we live, just living a normal life. I know have my license back and I’m taking the classes to ear my GED.

I have the best house director Jules. We butted heads at first but she wouldn’t let me quit. She taught me that we don’t have to agree on everything and we are allowed to have fights. We just can’t quit on each other. I’ve grown to love her unconditionally, and I know she loves and supports me no matter what. I honestly don’t know where I would be without her. I just hopes she never gives up on me. I’ve never had anybody show me the way, like she has. She always says what I need to hear and she truly cares about me, I’ve never met anyone like her in my entire life. I hope to always remain in her life along with the rest of my brothers at Magnolia.
These brothers are my non-blood family now and forever.

I would do anything for each and every one of them including breaking legs (J/K).

I found my home, I wish I could stay forever but because I’ve found my purpose here which is to help others in recovery, when the time comes, I won’t wonder to far away. Magnolia House guides me and gives me the structure to achieving my goals. As long as I use the tools that I was taught, I know I will be very successful. I’ve even learned to cook for large groups, I will graduate Federal Drug Court while thriving here in sober living. I’ve truly learned so much in these last 8 months, more than I have in my entire life. I am forever grateful for Magnolia House and just wish it didn’t take me so long to get me here.” – Rob

“My name is David Davieau and I’m 17 months sober today. Life is good today, but life hasn’t always been good. I was an opiate addict for 17 years. I’ve been to enough treatment centers that I’ve lost track of how many that I’ve actually been to. Going in and out of all these rehabs I could never make it more than 30 days until I found myself relapsing again. This last time was different.

On July 28th, 2022 I ended up back in a treatment program at Green Mountain treatment center, where I graduated their 60 day program. I’m not going to say they are the best and dismiss all the other programs that I’ve been to. Green Mountain runs an amazing program and they are absolutely what I needed at that point in my life. I would recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction. Not only did I learn a lot about addiction at green mountain. I learned a lot about myself and who I was, and that’s where the journey of finding myself and what I’m capable of began.

After completing the treatment program, my newly sober journey continued to a men’s sober home called Magnolia House in Hampton NH. This is where I met Jules Johnson, the Founder of Magnolia House. The program and aesthetics of Magnolia have helped me shape my life and sobriety tremendously, especially the reunification program for those of us who have kids. I have 10 year old twins and being able to have them stay with me every other weekend has helped me build an amazing relationship with my children. I’m present and functional with them and all around a good dad, a proud Dad.

I’ve been at Magnolia House for a year now and accomplished so many things, including becoming a house leader at Magnolia. Since becoming a house leader I know I’ve helped other men in their sobriety. I help guide them with everyday issues and even the 12 step program. the most important part which is a listening ear, in those times they need to vent, and just need someone to listen and not judge. Sometimes not say anything at all, we just sit together. The stability provided for me here at Magnolia has given me the opportunity to work on changing my old way of thinking and growing into a positive and constructive mindset that I have now.
Without Green Mountain, Magnolia House and especially Jules Johnson I would not be this far in my recovery and will always continue to support both of them and anyone in sobriety.” – David

“My name is Lea and I’m a heroin and meth addict in recovery. My story is like so many others. from the age of 16 I dabbled in drugs (Percocet, Adderall, Xanax) and it continued on into most of my adult life. I was what you call a “functioning addict.” When I was introduced to meth and heroin that all changed. My children, family, friends, no longer mattered to me. The father of my child and I took a one way train out to Boston and headed straight for methadone mile. The place was like a drug to me and I was instantly hooked. The shady adventures, the chaos, the fear, the life and the deaths that made Mass Ave what it is was my home for almost 4 years. I’ve witnessed unspeakable things out there. Things that still haunt me to this day. I never considered leaving there, not even after the loss of my boyfriend. I had no hope of living a normal life. I knew I was going to die out there. That was okay with me. My parents showed up a few days before Christmas in 2021 and forced me into treatment. It was practically kidnapping. I thank God every day for them doing that. I wouldn’t be alive today if they didn’t show up when they did.

I was sent to Blueprint Recovery (now closed) and was offered what my clinician called “the Golden ticket” to a sober house called Magnolia house in Hampton New Hampshire. I had never been to a sober house after treatment and really didn’t know how I was going to feel about it. All my other attempts at trying to remain sober had failed and I felt that I would surely fail again. With that being said, I was very guarded going in and didn’t truly open up or bond with anyone. A person just coming off the streets after being there for a many years is like a wild animal. The changes were so drastic and overwhelming that relapse was inevitable. I held on tight but I did end up relapsing, at exactly six months. I hopped in my car and headed for Boston. When my car broke down, I got out and just left it where it was and continued on to Mass Ave. I didn’t want Jules to know I had relapsed so I sent her a couple of texts with a story that was absolutely ridiculous as to why I wasn’t coming back.

At that point I assumed I would never see Jules or Magnolia House again. I had been out on the streets for a little less than a week. As I was getting high on a sidewalk by myself near an off ramp to the highway, I look up to see if there are any cops around, I see Jules’s vehicle across the road. Now, I’ve been up for days on meth and assume that I’m hallucinating but sure enough it’s Jules and two of my housemates who have come to take me home and get me into treatment. The fact that they had come out there to get me and I walked around Mass Ave looking for me just blew me away. I didn’t know that anyone even cared other than my family. One of the first things Jules did when I got home from treatment was we sat down and she asked me what my needs were and what my life was like out there so she could come up with a plan to help me. A plan that was truly tailored to what I needed to feel happiness while being in recovery. I was at Magnolia house for about a year and a half and it changed my life completely. As I write this I have one year four months and 6 days sober.

I have a full-time job as a manager that I love. I was able to save money and get an apartment for the first time in my life. I’m self-sufficient for the first time in my life and it feels amazing. I feel blessed to have been a part of Magnolia house and I’m grateful to have had Jules there fighting alongside me to hold strong in my sobriety. Jules will still just pop in on me at work just to check in and make sure life is going well.” – Lea

“My name is Monica and I struggled with addiction for over 20 years. My childhood was pretty normal, lots of family gatherings, I attended church regularly, and got excellent grades.

When I was 12 my father got into a serious motorcycle accident where he almost died, he ended up having to get his leg amputated. Smoking weed and drinking booze was a daily routine for my friend’s and I. I had tried a few other drugs but nothing regularly. After High School I went to college but didn’t finish my degree during that time I became quite the regular at my local bar. Around that same time I had decided to try my dad’s pain pills. I can still remember that first high. I had gotten sick to my stomach but remember just feeling like all my worries were gone, I instantly fell in love.

Eventually the pills weren’t enough. my dad would catch me stealing them from him, my family was noticing I wasn’t showing up for things, I was starting to get into trouble with the law.

At age 24, I was only out of jail for about 3 months out of that entire year. I would go in for a couple months, get out for a few weeks, go back in for a couple months and the cycle would continue.

I had decided that something needed to change, so I packed up everything I owned and headed for New Hampshire to live with my mother, whom I hadn’t seen since I was 12. I thought I could leave my addictions and troubles behind by starting fresh in a new state. Little did I know just how sneaky my addiction ended up being Within the first week I had managed to find other addicts and drugs quite easily. I was using cocaine, smoking weed and drinking booze. I did manage to stay off heroin during that time. I did get pregnant about 6 months after I moved to NH with my beautiful daughter Zoe who is about to turn 13. Her father and I ended up separating when she was 6 months old with shared custody.

About a year after living in New Hampshire I was introduced to methamphetamine. I had gotten a job serving at a bar during Bike Week and I had jumped in with both feet. I didn’t start out small, I was using with people that have been doing meth for 20 plus years. Needless to say, not long after that heroin had found its way back into my life.

From there I started getting in trouble again with the law and people again were noticing how quickly my life was falling apart.
I had lost my license back in PA before I moved here. So all that I had known was in the little town of Laconia New Hampshire. Eventually, because of all my legal issues Zoe’s father decided that I couldn’t see her anymore. after that I went in on a hardcore run, homeless and just not having a care in the world.

I ended up getting arrested by the feds and was looking at quite a bit of jail time. I had to make a decision either turn my life around or go to jail. Thank God for my probation officer I had at the time, who was willing to give me a chance to change my life. She said I could go to rehab, then go into a sober house and quickly start federal drug court. So I went to Antrim house, an all-women’s rehab (at the time), mind you this wasn’t my first shot at rehab, I had tried many times. Each time, I just went back to the same people places and things. this time I had had a spiritual awakening at this women’s rehab. I really absorbed everything that they were teaching me and I truly wanted to change. my counselor there had given me the option to go to a place in Hampton called Magnolia House, it wasn’t an option they normally gave to people at that rehab but I said yes please, that sounds amazing.

I remember rolling in that day with a few things and meeting Jules for the first time. At first I was having trouble getting along with the other girls, not wanting to follow rules and just kind of butting heads with everybody. I did however get a job that I am still employed at to this day. Through my stay there I was able to successfully graduate the federal drug Court, get my license back, build a savings account, get reunited with my daughter and became the house mentor for the other girls at the Magnolia house. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be the one helping other addicts want to change their lives and have them look up to me as a role model. After about a year and a half I moved out of the Magnolia house into my own apartment. I have bills in my name, my credit score is amazing and I bought myself a new car . Every day I thank God that he is giving me the strength to stay clean and to continuously enjoy the gifts of this amazing life. Jules will always have a special place in my heart. She never gave up on me and pushed me through the hard parts of that Journey. She believed in me when I wanted to give up.

Today I consider her one of my dearest friends. My will for helping other addicts has not ended, in fact it has opened up my eyes into a new realm of many possibilities, I just enrolled into the program to become a recovery coach and that is just the beginning. I cannot wait to see what the future brings.” – Monica

I started this sober journey back on July 31st, 2020. I had gotten myself into legal trouble and ended up on Carrol County Jail. They asked me if I wanted recovery. I said yes because if I kept on the road I was on, I know I would have died.

I am a 46-year-old mom of 3 children. They are 29, 26, and 17 years old. I have been an addict my whole life.

I got the OK to go to Granite House in Derry NH on July 31, 2020. I arrived late and had to use one more time. I’m so grateful I did not die and made it to rehab. I completed the Granite House program on August 24, 2020. Then went to PHP in Manchester, I left there in September and went to Bonfire in Dover, NH. While talking with my case manager I told her I needed sober living. We looked into places and The Magnolia House NH was one that stuck out to me.

Today I know it was my higher power taking me where I needed to go. I arrived at The Magnolia House on October 17, 2020. I was 77 days sober, I was scared because I had never done sober living. The house mom, Jules, was there to welcome me with open arms. That comforted me. I met a few of the ladies that were there and settled in.

Today I have 197 days sober. Jules and the women at The Magnolia House are magical. I cannot begin to tell you all the blessings I have received since coming here. I have never been this sober in my entire life. I have a sponsor and go to AA meetings every day, some days I go to 3 meetings. I have connections with the ladies here, we are a sober sisterhood. If one of us is struggling we all come together to help. I use to think about running away and using again. Today, it doesn’t feel like that. I talk to Jules and the ladies about what’s on my mind. I have lost people I met in the programs due to them relapsing. I do not want to die. I love my life today. It has been a long hard journey. Being at The Magnolia House has been a blessing in my life. I have friends that went to another sober house, some are dead, some are back in rehab and others are still out suffering. Jules has helped me so much with legal stuff, finding a job, talking when I’m stressed, and just showing me I can live a sober happy life. I feel like I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have been accepted at The Magnolia House. I have a higher power and work my program every day. We have guidance and structure and a loving community. If I am stressed I can walk to the beach and meditate. We set goals and accomplish them. I have been here for 3 months and I feel like I have grown as a woman and a mother. I talk to my kids almost every day which I always didn’t do. I have made sober friendships which I know will be lifelong. My experience here has been life-changing. I want to do the right thing for once in my life. I want to live, I want to work in recovery so that I may someday save a life as Jules and The Magnolia House saved mine!!!

– Jessica McBride

“magnolia house has saved not only my life but my family’s life as well. I am a quiet introvert and the magnolia house has shown how to use my words in a peaceful and productive way. I don’t know where I would be in my life if it wasn’t for this program.” – Hannah E.