Project Butterfly

A community partnership of the YWCA and the Wichita Police Department

Empowering women to transition from lives of abuse and addiction to sobriety and peace.

Phone: 267-7233 24 hour crisis line or
CP South 462-2777 or 337-9200

Street Stories
From an Advocate’s Perspective

February, 2007:

That client is also working on reintegration with her child who has been in temporary custody of a family member. She called Officer Diehl on Christmas day to let him know that she credits him and Project Butterfly with saving her life!

Another success story…client is clean going on 5 months, living in an apartment with roommate and working at a local fabric store. She continues to be active in her out-patient treatment group and has also participated in several Narcotics Anonymous events. She has found since entering the butterfly program that parents (out-of-state) are willing to be involved and supportive again, to the point of sending her a laptop computer, a new sewing machine, and a cell phone to stay in touch.

We also have an under age runaway who was taken into the program and placed in a juvenile treatment facility located in southeastern Kansas. She is still in the treatment program and after 2 months, is working on staying clean, finishing her education and pursuing a life off the streets in the future.

August, 2006:

We met a 19 year old, second generation prostitute, who had been stopped by a beat officer out of South Patrol. She was searched and found to be clean, so I approached her about our project.

She had been in detox for her crack addiction and would have gone into treatment but didn’t have the resources to pay for it. She was back on the streets with no money, no place to sleep and headed for a notorious drug house in the neighborhood. She stated she was still clean and hadn’t used in 1 ½ days, but probably would when she got some money.

I talked with her about the project and she listened, but really began to pay attention when I told her I knew she was worth much more than what this type of life afforded her. She began crying and said she wanted to be different, but this was the only way of life she knew. She also has a 23 year old sister who is doing the same thing. Her mother is very willing to go into treatment and wants to get her youngest daughter off the streets if possible. I gave her the care package, along with the tip card and my name. I shared with her that the decision was hers. She can call and ask for my help when she’s ready to get clean, and get help in securing her GED which could help lead to a different job. She was particularly happy to get the care package and said she wanted to use it that evening.

By the next evening her mother was in detox and headed for treatment. We looked for her on the streets and found her in a motel with her “boss”. She was getting ready to go to her second job (works for an escort service 3 evenings a week) and was very appreciative of being able to wash her hair, use soap to take a bath and had cleaned up better than she had in over a month. She is not planning to come into the project at this time, but I feel we have planted the seed which may take more nurturing to grow. Time will tell!