Stephanie Bowman was a desperate mother of two young girls, homeless and an addict when she did the unthinkable: She placed her 5-year-old daughter, Amber, into a dumpster to forage for food.
It was an act of kindness that Bowman, 53, would repay thousands of times over. Sober since 1999 — the same year she hit rock bottom when her daughters were placed in foster care — she is the founder and president ofOne Heart for Women and Children, a nonprofit in Orlando, Florida, dedicated to serving struggling families in the community.
Bowman is featured in PEOPLE’s first-ever Kindness Issue, dedicated to highlighting the ways, big and small, that kindness can make a difference and change lives. Clickhereand pick up the issue, on stands Friday, Nov. 8, for more stories on the impact of kindness from Julia Roberts,Tiffany Haddishand other stars, as well as everyday people practicing kindness in their communities. To share the story of someone who’s done something exceptionally kind, emailkindnessawards@peoplemag.com.
“I knew when I started One Heart that I wanted there to be no strings attached,” Bowman says.
“When people walk in, we want them to feel just like anyone else: whether they had a shower that day or haven’t had a shower in a month; whether they walked there or drove a fancy car,” she continued. “We want every single person who walks through the doors to feel the same, which is to feel hope and to feel loved.”
Stephanie Bowman.Courtesy Stephanie Bowman
Anesha Collins of Unashamed Imaging
“We’re here to help anyone who needs the help,” says Bowman. “There is no shame, no judgment. We celebrate when people get to One Heart. And then it’s, ‘How can we help you get to that next place?’ Everybody’s time of transition looks different.”
‘Something Just Shifted’: Her Spiral Into Addiction
“Something just shifted,” she says, leading her to begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol. “And so, from 15 to 32 years old, I was in and out of addiction. I didn’t know that back then. I was lying to myself through all of that. All of my relationships were unhealthy.”
Stephanie Bowman, 6 months pregnant with her daughter Amber just before her family’s intervention in 1993.
Stephanie Bowman in 1993, the day before her family’s first intervention.Anesha Collins of Unashamed Imaging
“Scary photo,” Bowman says of this 1993 picture, taken shortly before her daughter Amber’s birth.Anesha Collins of Unashamed Imaging
When Katie arrived eight weeks early in July of 1998, “my urge to use drugs was still there and I was fighting it every single day.” She relapsed three months after Katie’s birth and soon after that, fled her abusive marriage.
‘There Was No Bigger Sign’: Her Sobriety Turning Point
Suddenly homeless, Bowman saw her daughters removed from her custody and placed into foster care on Jan. 7, 1999 — the final turning point in her sobriety journey.
“It was the first time I really wanted to live clean and sober,” she says. “I didn’t want to hide anymore. I didn’t want to lie anymore. I didn’t want to cheat anymore. I didn’t want to steal anymore. I didn’t want to prostitute anymore. That was the last release of my addiction.”
Bowman adds: “My prayer for 10 days prior to that was, ‘Let something bad enough happen for me to get the oomph to do something different. Show me the sign.’ My kids being removed: There was no bigger sign.”
Stephanie Bowman with her family today.Courtesy Stephanie Bowman
But just 18 months after getting sober — and regaining custody of her daughters — she was hit with a devastating setback: choriocarcinoma, a fast-growing cancer that occurs in the uterus and followed a tubular pregnancy. Still, she took the news with an exceptionally positive outlook that would help guide her current work.
“There was a reason why I was 18 months clean and sober when I was diagnosed,” she says. “I had a strong foundation in my recovery circle.”
Turning Pain Into Power
Looking ahead, Bowman hopes to open a women and children’s shelter called “One Heart — A Safe Place to Land” for those who are enduring similar struggles to those she overcame.
“One of the things we encourage people at One Heart for Women and Children to do is to share their stories,” she says. ” ‘Tell me. How did you end up where you are right now? What is that thing in your life where it shifted from loving and light to darkness?’ It becomes, Who can I help today? That is the mantra.”
source: people.com
