Black Butterflies “You see; grandma’s hands are beneath the Black Butterflies wings.”
residents and even the women in the program pitched in to provide additional funds. And they were off, their creative hands flying, sewing beautiful items, scarves, dresses, a funky bow-tie collection, reversible bags, aprons and much more. Their items are really lovely and reflective of the serious approach these women take to recovery. Black Butterfly Apparel Company has been going strong since 2014. The journey has been challenging but successful. They held on with grandma’s advice always in the back of their minds, “You can scream, you can cry, but don’t ever give up.”
The Black Butterflies Apparel Company was created by UMADAOP of Cleveland to provide women coming out of treatment with a positive alternative to relapse and a fresh start to life. Many of these women have suffered most of their lives from trauma, homelessness and mental health challenges in addition to their addiction. To combat these issues and support their client’s new sober lifestyle, Black Butterflies turned to the evidential ethos of our African American culture and “grandmas’ wisdom” where she would simply declare, “Honey, idle hands and minds are the devil’s workshop.”
Once conceptualized, the group sought funding. Valeria Harper proved to be “an angel beneath the group’s wings.” She assisted the Black Butterflies Apparel Company by guiding them through a funding request to the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board (ADAS) of Cuyahoga County. They were able to secure funds to help purchase start-up equipment and provide stipends to the women in training. The ADAS board was not only financially generous, they also believed in the project. To that, grandma would say, “They did the Lord’s will. Amen.” In addition to the county board, the project’s training staff, community
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