The Melindaville Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those still suffering from addiction.  Proceeds from Melinda’s memoir, as well as her speaking engagements, will fund recovery for addicts, particularly those who are survivors of sexual abuse or those working in the sex industry.   

In every addict’s life, including Melinda’s own, moments of clarity occur, when an addict knows her or his path is the wrong one.  It is in these critical moments that treatment must be available.  If no opportunities exist, these moments of clarity pass. 

Addiction is a complex disease, rooted in the interacting forces of psychological, biological, and sociocultural factors.  For treatment to be successful, it must be comprehensive and address the complex causes that drive addiction.  For lasting change to occur, treatment  must be lengthy enough for the transformation to take hold:  an addict is not created overnight, therefore, treating an addict usually takes longer than most residential treatment provide. 

Melinda understands the dynamics of addiction and recovery, both from the perspective of a recovering addict and from the perspective of a health psychologist, who has studied substance abuse and addiction for over fifteen years.  Indeed, Melinda herself spent nearly six months in The Freedom House, which she credits for saving her life.  Melinda entered The Freedom House a broken woman, living on the street, with no job, no money, and no medical insurance.  This gift of recovery gave Melinda her second chance at life.  As a result, it is her commitment and purpose to help others find the same new beginning. 

In addition to helping addicts find recovery, Melinda is committed to the purpose of raising awareness about the need for free and/or affordable treatment in our society.  She strongly believes it should be as easy to get into treatment, as it is to buy drugs or a bottle of alcohol.  To help raise awareness about the need for free and available treatment in our society,  Melinda decided to go public with her story. She believes if others hear of success stories,  such as her own, that they will understand that treatment can and does work.  Melinda is committed to the belief that every life is worth saving and that every human being deserves an opportunity to turn her/his life around.

Most people have at least one story to illustrate how addiction has touched  their lives.  Indeed, addiction touches us all; therefore, we all benefit from affording others the opportunity successful treatment.