May 10th 2024.
Recently, there was an incident captured on security footage that has shocked the community. It showed a neighbor placing a sign with a derogatory term directed towards black people near a sober living facility owned by Brenda Jean Bowen and her family. This facility, named Brenda Jean's Sober Living Facility, is located in Bakersfield, California and serves as a safe haven for men struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues. However, despite their good intentions, the facility has faced some backlash from the neighborhood due to the services they provide.
According to Bowen, they have faced some difficulties with the community in the past, but nothing like this. She explained, "We got a lot of people that were worried about the guys, they didn't want them in the neighborhood. We had it hard, but we're not where we used to be." The incident occurred when Bowen's husband was unloading the truck and noticed the sign, which contained a derogatory term for black people. The family tried to reach out to the neighbor responsible, but their attempts were unsuccessful.
As soon as they found out about the sign, the family reported it to the Bakersfield Police and the NAACP. This was not the first time they had a dispute with this neighbor, as they had previously argued over trash cans. However, Bowen emphasized that this incident was on a different level. She stated, "This is some serious stuff. I took it to heart, and my family did, too. She had no reason to do that. If she had an issue, she could come talk to me."
Despite the traumatic experience, the Bowen family is determined to move past it and continue their work of helping residents rehabilitate themselves. Their facility offers various services, such as visits from social workers, drug testing, and mental health counseling. Apart from that, they also run a soup kitchen and an internship program in collaboration with California State University, Bakersfield.
Bowen hopes that the community will not ignore this incident and instead, support their work. She wants to focus on providing food and transportation for the residents, rather than dealing with racially motivated acts. She said, "I love what I do. It's in my heart. We have a lot of love for them, regardless of what they do. I don't judge them. It's hard running Brenda Jean's, I have a lot going on to worry about a sign that says that."
The incident at Brenda Jean's Sober Living Facility is just one example of the numerous issues reported with sober living facilities in California. This has led lawmakers to propose bills to address the professionalism of private operators in the industry. The bills aim to put pressure on local governments to ensure the safety of these facilities. The Southern California Sober Living Task Force, a group of local and state officials, is also looking into the data to determine if these facilities are truly providing the necessary support and protection for those in need. It is important to address these issues and ensure that these facilities are truly serving their intended purpose.
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