The woman behind the Narrow Road Home addiction's program in High River went before town council Monday to bring the town up to date on what's been happening.

Kim Engbrecht says they opened the door to the original house across from Spitzee school two years ago as of December 2.

Since then she says residents have become part of the community.

"When I went through my own journey, and I remember carrying a lot of guilt and shame and worthlessness, I realized that we don't talk a lot about the drugs and alcohol or the shopping addictions or the eating disorders, it's about dispelling the shame and the guilt and getting to the root of why we do what we do," Engbrecht says. "I think what it is, is we're not afraid to say we're all broken, and we're not afraid to say we need help, but actually saying we want to take a step at being over-comers and using that as a weapon for good because as soon as we talk about it, it loses that veil of secrecy."

She can't remember just how many women have gone through the treatment centre but says they don't have a high turnover rate and many of the women are now working with them at the centre.

Engbrecht says they now have three supportive sober living homes that are connected and are opening a fourth near Okotoks this week.

The salvage Soul Sisters Society has a store in High River in support of groups of women who need healing and Narrow Road Home has been chosen to receive the proceeds from that.

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