Sarah Laurel knows first-hand what it's like to hit rock-bottom.
Sarah Laurel, Founder and Executive Director, Savage Sisters Recovery, at work in Kensington.
She was in her mid-20's with a successful career as an executive in the hotel industry when she was prescribed Percocet for carpal tunnel. But as her needs for stronger medication gradually grew, she began buying it on the street and her life and career spiraled downward. Later, she became a bartender and her coworker introduced her to heroin.
As her life progressed downward, she lost her home and car and got arrested and lived in Kensington, notorious as the epicenter of the national opioid crisis. While in Kensington, she was beaten and robbed, saw someone get killed and was thrown out of an upper floor window. She was so severely injured, she needed extensive surgery and spent time in a wheelchair.
Eventually, there was a turning point and with sheer determination and a 12-step recovery fellowship, she began to recover and devote her life to helping others. In 2018, she founded Savage Sisters (now Savage Sisters Recovery). The name "Savage" came to her while in the hospital — to pursue recovery with "ferocity." In many ways, that name reflects everything she does through her organization to help reduce the harm of substance abuse in Kensington.
What began as her desire to have one safe home for a couple of women, grew organically over the past five years. Today Savage Sisters has nine recovery homes, a drop-in center, weekly street-based outreaches, and statewide overdose reversal and harm reduction trainings.
According to their short documentary, entitled “Worth Saving,” which chronicles Savage Sisters' outreach in Kensington, opioid pain killers like OxyContin and Vicodin has led to a nationwide drug epidemic. That then leads to the use of street drugs like heroin and Fentanyl. Now, overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-25.
Savage Sisters Recovery boasts that they have the highest long-term recovery rate in Philadelphia. But, their work is not for the faint of heart. They regularly see overdoses, gaping wounds, and needles and trash everywhere. But she and her organization of staff and many volunteers serves the Kensington community with love and compassion.
After a hard day's work, Sarah reflected, "Serving your friends and seeing the situations they're in and the pain, I just need some quiet time to just process."
Sarah Laurel will speak at the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill breakfast meeting on September 27 at 7:30 am, Center on the Hill, 8855 Germantown Avenue, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. The public is invited to attend the meeting which will include a short question and answer session.
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Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill or make a donation to the Chestnut Hill Rotary Foundation.
