With 14 months of sobriety under her belt, Barb Williamson opened her first recovery house.

As a person in long-term recovery, she’s now the president of the recovery house network, Way of Life.

Listening to Williamson talk in class on Thursday was especially meaningful for me. My younger brother came to our class that day, as he was visiting me in the city for the day. He had just been discharged from Livengrin Foundation three days prior. As it turns out, Williamson spent a year in that same foundation, which changed her life. My brother saw her Livengrin lanyard and it immediately struck a chord. As my brother has been struggling with addiction for a few years now, it was amazing to be able to connect him with someone who shares a similar story and came out the other side, stronger.

Williamson has grown her recovery house network to 13 houses in the Greater Philadelphia Area. She believes these transitional living situations are the most important part of maintaining sobriety for those in recovery.