OUR MISSION

OpenDoor-Columbus was founded by three moms…

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Leslie Kristoff, Rachel Muha and me, Tammy Foeller. Two of us, Leslie, and myself, desperate for our daughters to stop using drugs and one, Rachel, devastated by the death of her son, Brian, killed by men high on drugs.

 

Three moms. One vision. Many goals.

 

Our lives brought together by sadness, pain, heartache and now, hope.

 

This is our story- separate yet woven together. This is the story of our children who never met but brought us together.

 

In 2018, I was at an Al Anon meeting during lunch time. It was an ordinary lunch hour spent at an Al Anon meeting. Al Anon is a support group for families of loved ones suffering from substance use disorder (SUD). As always, the room was full, and I felt safe. I listened to each person share their heartache, and even their joy. Surprising that in a room full of people worried about their loved ones, that there could be joy, and even laughter.

 

This is where I met Leslie. Her heart was broken. And heavy. And sad. When I looked at her, I saw my reflection. Leslie and I became fast friends -sharing our secrets, fears and the loneliness that comes with loving a child who is suffering from SUD.  Our daughters, who were once full of life, were now trapped by their addiction. 

 

It was a short time after we met that Leslie told me that she had a dream of starting a non-profit. She envisioned being able to help women in our community struggling to find resources to support them in their recovery and transition to a drug- free life. 

 

Having listened to Rachel’s witness about her son, Brian, I reached out to her for some guidance. Rachel’s son was a student at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio in 1999 when he was kidnapped and murdered by two young men high on crack. There are no words to describe that kind of piercing pain. No words.

 

Instead of this defining Rachel as a victim herself, she has spent more than 20 years of her life serving children like the ones who murdered her son. She has dedicated her life to changing the lives of children who are growing up in neighborhoods riddled with guns, drugs, violence, neglect and abuse. And she forgave the men that murdered her son. Rachel not only offered leadership, but she also became the third founding member of OpenDoor-Columbus.

 

And our work began. After months of brainstorming, contemplating what to do, sweat and tears, we had our name and  applied for our nonprofit to become a 501©(3)  Today we  are bringing Hope, Help and Healing to women in our community.

 

We do this by providing 1-year free services (a Table) to a woman recovering from SUD.  Tables are composed of a 6–8 volunteers who complete 15 hours of training including an extensive training on trauma. The community volunteers make a year commitment to act as a team of mentors, encouragers, and advocates for their Friend cultivating relationships that last long beyond the year.  This transitional relationship fills the void that exists between incarceration, treatment, or a court ordered program to sustainable recovery.

 

We need your help!

 

​We need you to open your heart.

 

We cannot do this without YOU!