Meet the women who make She Brews a place with truly transformational coffee.
sharing stories
“I am no longer fearful of the future but now look forward to the future with hope in my heart.”
At She Brews we love to share stories, but not every story has a beautiful beginning. The women of She Brews are from a variety of backgrounds, many of them filled with trauma, heartbreak, drugs, and incarceration. Most of the women are now walking through their redemption chapter and those are the stories we are sharing here.
Manager, Claremore
Tamra
At the age of two, Tamra’s father moved out of state to get her away from her mother, who had a severe drug addiction. As we often see in these stories, Tamra had already followed in her mother’s footsteps and was using drugs by the age of 18. In 2017, Tamra was in serious trouble with the law, and her mother referred her to She Brews Transition Program for help. Tamra wasn’t ready and was eventually kicked out. When the courts found out she was no longer in SBTP, they sentenced her to 34 years in prison. Eventually, she was paroled and told by the courts she could either go to rehab or back to prison.
But this time, God had other plans for her. Tamra drove herself back to rehab and called her mom for the first time in years. A week after finishing rehab, Tamra got a text from Rhonda asking if she was ready to come home. Her parole was transferred to Oklahoma and she returned to She Brews filled with hope for her present, and her future. Most importantly, Tamra is building relationships with her children. Her kids are learning a new way of life through her, and are seeing their mom make a true transformation. Tamra is breaking generational cycles.
But this time, God had other plans for her. Tamra drove herself back to rehab and called her mom for the first time in years. A week after finishing rehab, Tamra got a text from Rhonda asking if she was ready to come home. Her parole was transferred to Oklahoma and she returned to She Brews filled with hope for her present, and her future. Most importantly, Tamra is building relationships with her children. Her kids are learning a new way of life through her, and are seeing their mom make a true transformation. Tamra is breaking generational cycles.
case manager
Skylar
To look at Skylar now—Case Manager, parent-to-parent mentor, and full time mother of four children—it seems improbable that she once struggled with drug addiction so severe that it landed her in jail, inpatient psychiatric care, and rehab. In a desperate state, Skylar had tried everything to overcome her addiction and regain custody of her children, but nothing seemed to stick. It was only after her final stint in jail, and a subsequent stay in a sober living house, that she began to find her footing, and she would walk past the She Brews Tulsa location every day on her way to another job. Skylar now reflects, “I would see the words on the window—‘Change’, ‘Restore’, ‘Empower’—and think ‘I want to be a part of that.’ But I didn’t think anyone would take a chance on me.” After meeting several times with the team at Tulsa, she finally got her shot, and has been an integral part of the team ever since—regaining custody of her children, becoming the first graduate of the Tulsa program, and of course, becoming a Case Manager.
Team Member
Tiffany
After almost 25 years of hardcore drug addiction, Tiffany lay in her hospital bed, unable to move or do anything for herself, and prayed to God for a way out of her pain. She had barely survived a high speed police chase, running from a possible life sentence in prison, and was thrown from a vehicle, breaking her back and suffering a brain bleed. After spending two weeks in a semi-conscious state, Tiffany awoke—miraculously healed from her addiction, and without withdrawals or overwhelming pain. Additionally, she was granted the gift of serving a concurrent sentence, greatly reducing the time she would spend in prison. While there, she met Rhonda Bear, who told her, “God has a plan for you.” Since being released—and working at She Brews—Tiffany has continued to grow in her faith. “She Brews has helped me to deal with other people, and even more importantly, how to deal with myself.” Tiffany has found the peace in God that she once sought in drugs, and is now pursuing her GED. One day, she hopes to pay it forward, helping other addicts with their recovery, and showing them the hope that she has found for herself.