August 19th 1981 I ran away from The Meridian Home for Girls in Royersford Pa to the Streets of Fort Lauderdale FL. June 11th 2011 I am Walking Home I am Sandra Huffman and I am walking 1300 miles from Fort Lauderdale to Washington DC and then to Philadelphia to Celebrate National Recovery Month and my 5 yrs Clean and Sober. Sowing a trail of mustard seeds to cultivate messages of hope, healing, and recovery to victims of Addiction,Abuse and Homelessness. “Sandra’s Walk” will begin on June 11 th, 2011 on the Fort Lauderdale beach. I plan to arrive in Washington, D.C. by September 2011 to participate in DC-based Recovery Month activities as well as PRO-ACT’s Recovery Walks in my Hometown of Royersford & Philadelphia plus surrounding areas during the entire month. My Substance issues started when I was a child. Adopted at birth in 1966 by parents who themselves had struggled with chemical dependencies, My Step Father was a Doctor and had me on Ritalin and Donatol at the age of 7. I know I have been an Addict since the age of 7 because I remember “sneaking: down to get more because I liked the feelings the medication gave me. I was on the street as a teen and later again as an adult late in my addiction. I struggled for over 30 years with Substance Abuse and the world that goes with it, and now at 44 I am going on 5 yrs clean/sober I will be walking and talking Life Recovery at Shelters and Recovery Centers all along my 1300 mile Journey up the East Coast of the United States. So, how did I manage to beat the statistics and fully recover from nearly Thirty + years of multiple chemical dependencies? Long-term treatment and continual involvement are essential components of Recovery. At the age of 38 I started going to jail and that is what saved my life. My first in-custody treatment during incarceration as deemed by court systems was only 30 days. This short time is inadequate in many cases. I being one of the many offenders who failed to fully detox during my initial 30-day treatment program and ended up back on the streets — and back in jail. The second and third offenses resulted in a 90-day treatment program which saved my life. This particular program provided more comprehensive treatment which included classes, speakers, spiritual support and fellowship meetings. I felt supported and loved and finally developed the strength and stamina that I needed to continue my recovery. “A mustard seed of hope was planted, I dove in with both feet and my whole heart… I could, I would recover. I knew it was going to be hard.” Upon completion of the program, I admitted myself into a Christian halfway house. I went back to every public agency I ever misused in the past and regained their confidence in me and and successfully fought to reclaim custody of my children. I began advocating the importance of long-term treatment by helping to organize benefit concerts and walks, spreading my message in public forums and telling my story on the radio and in newspapers. “I publicly fought for the program that saved my life. I got involved and stayed involved. I was given a mustard seed 5 years ago and now I have several. I choose to share these seeds with my brothers and sisters, During my walk, I will visit institutions, homeless shelters, recovery centers where I will spread the message of hope through public speaking engagements and participation in fellowship meetings. I will then proceed to Royersford, PA to officially express my appreciation and support to the Meridian Home for Girls by presenting a check funded by public donations. I will also distribute a portion of the contributions to the approximately twenty organizations that helped me through my recovery. And there is my Dream of opening a 3/4 Sober Living Home for Parents in Recovery that have a minimum of 6 months sobriety. They will live with their children for one full year in a 12 Step Sober Environment to continue Recovery of the entire Family. This will be called “Fenwick Guest House” I plan to raise one million dollars before my journey ends. I enthusiastically welcome monetary donations of any size, as well as toiletries and sneakers and I am presently looking for an RV and camping equipment to house myself and also the Documentary Crew from Garnet Productions of Miami that has asked to film the Walk and the Months of preparation that has gone into it. We are raising funds to support our responsibilities while on the road by making Handmade Mustard Seed Necklaces These are $13.00 and, handmade by myself and my Sisters in Recovery. These necklaces hold charms that convey words of inspiration as well as mustard seeds of hope. For every necklace sold, I will donate a matching necklace to someone in need of hope at one of the shelters or institutions that I will visit during my 1,300 mile trek. Actual Monetary Donations made on the Sandraswalk.org Website are 100% Tax Deductible as our Fiscal Sponsor is The In The Rooms Foundation a full supported 501(c)(3) Not For Profit Official Sponsors are intherooms.com, Rockers in Recovery and The 12 Step Music Fest in The Keys Please follow this 1300 Mile Journey of Hope this summer on sandraswalk.org InTheRooms.Com, Facebook and Twitter