Kristin Pierce is highlighting Neighborhood Heroes each week. If you know of someone who should be profiled, Kristin can be reached at kpierce@wwltv.com.
On any given night, hundreds of thousands of people are homeless in the United States. In New Orleans, we see people struggling to find shelter everyday.
One woman knows firsthand what it's like to be homeless and she is doing everything she can to help others get back on their feet and stay there.
For Margie Stewart, things in her life start spiraling out of control when she was in her 30s. She was supposed to be in the prime of her life, but Margie was at an all-time low.
"When I was in Baton Rouge, I was a crackhead," said Margie.
Margie said she got into drugs just trying to party and have a good time.
"I was on drugs, I was staying in a car, I was 122 pounds," she said.
Her addiction took a heavy toll on her, and on her relationship with her family. Margie was no longer able to care for her son and she was a constant worry for her mom. And that’s when she’d had enough.
"I got sick and tired of being sick and tired," said Margie.
So, she checked herself into Grace House and got clean.
"I’ve been homeless so I know how it feels. I’m in recovery, I know how it feels to feel helpless and homeless, to exist and not to live, I know how that feels," Margie said.
Since Margie knows how it feels, she also knows how to help. After she finished the program at Grace House, she was hired there. She also worked at Lindy’s Place and Hotel Hope- all nonprofits dedicated to getting addicts and the homeless back on their feet.
Margie says, "It’s a feeling that you get when you help somebody."
More than two decades later, she’s still at it. Margie now works as a case manager for the transitional after-care program at the New Orleans Women and Children’s shelter. She helps families find a home, and that’s just the beginning.
"Once they leave and go into their own place, we just make sure it continues," she said.
Margie helps families get furniture, buy groceries, cleaning supplies and personal items. If they need help paying the rent or a utility bill, she steps in. If their children need anything, she shows up.
"I love it, I love it and they know," said Margie. "After a while you see the push off. You can see they don’t call as often, they don’t need you as often but they stay in touch so it’s good."
A certain type of good the city of New Orleans will most likely always need.
"Life is still going to come at people and a lot of people are one check away from being homeless," said Margie.
And while Margie helps repair the lives of others, she also found some redemption for the damage in her life.
"My mom said 'God got something for you to do, He just wants you sober to do it' and when I got clean and I started doing this I said 'this is what it is.'"
Margie's mom passed away from cancer years ago but before she died, Margie was able to repair that relationship and her mom was able to see Margie sober for 8 years. Margie has been sober now for 24 years.
Kristin Pierce can be reached at kpierce@wwltv.com.