TULSA, Okla. — As one local organization plans to light up its famous Route 66 sign on Friday, Nov. 15, we want to shine a light on the work that it does helping those who need it most.
2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff listened to one woman they’re helping about how her life has changed.
Wings of Freedom is a sober living program that helps people restore their lives coming out of struggles — whether those are addiction, prison, homelessness, or domestic violence.
The group gives “hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless, and healing to the broken-hearted.” That’s how its founder, Pastor Dixie Pebworth, put it to 2 News.
“We're not treatment,” said Pebworth. “We're a recovery support program that helps people learn to live again after an addiction, after an alcoholism, after brokenness.”
“There's a lot of broken people in the world today because of society itself,” he added.
Since Wings of Freedom’s 2001 founding, they’ve helped hundreds of people make it through to the other side.
In the meantime, the individuals — and sometimes other family members — stay at one of their sober living communities.
At one of them, the Saratoga Sober Center, Braff ran into Candace Garcia, who had a completely different life four months ago.
Without this place, she said, “I wouldn't be sober. I would still have three beautiful little girls who wouldn't be able to see their mom.”
The 29-year-old was battling addiction and had lost custody of her newborn daughter, Willow, in an Oklahoma Department of Human Services case.
After living there for three months, Garcia’s had quite the turnaround.
She recently celebrated over 60 days of sobriety, just got married three weeks ago, and is set to get her daughter back in January — right before her first birthday.
As for what she would tell herself four months ago, she replied: “That you could do it and keep your head up, and you gotta show— prove not only to your kids but to yourself that you're strong.”
Wings of Freedom gave Garcia a furnished apartment to call home while she gets back on her feet.
"It's a hand up, it's not a hand down," Pebworth told 2 News. "They have to go to work, be responsible for their own bills, and pay their own way. But, at the same time, our goal is to restore them back as ... people in society functioning as normal citizens."
The group also offers classes in personal finances, parenting, and marriage to help readjust them to society.
“A broken heart's like a broken arm," Pebworth remarked. "If you reset it and keep it real still for a period of time, it heals itself. Well, the heart's the same way. If you reset the heart and keep it still, then process through the pain, then you're able to restore your life.”
To sign up for Wings of Freedom's program, click here.
At 6pm on Nov. 15, the public is welcome to join Wings of Freedom for a "light-up party."
They will light up the iconic sign in front of their Saratoga Sober Center (10117 E. 11th St., Tulsa, OK 74128) along Route 66 to celebrate the community and Mother Road.
The group encourages people to bring toys to give to the children of families at the sober living communities for a Christmas drive.
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