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Recovery in the News
A View Called Hope
As Told to Evan George
Los Angeles Downtown News
November 19, 2007
In Her Own Words, Marcia Layton, 51, Tells How Rainbow Apartments Helped Her Get Off the Streets
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but have lived here in L.A. since I was 3 years old. I lived with my aunt initially, my mom sent me ahead of her, but the same day my mom moved here my aunt threw us out. We lived from pillow to post. We were on the streets. When I was 8 or 9 years old, we finally got an apartment in Watts.
"I started using alcohol in adolescence, experimenting, but it got progressively worse. I graduated from high school and went to Leimert Park Beauty College in the Crenshaw area. In 1977, I opened up my own hair salon, called Serenity Hair Design. I started partying more, drinking again and that led to cocaine. I hit a lot of walls, a lot of depression. I wasn't able to maintain the salon, I'd be at home crashed out instead. I had a son at that time and wasn't able to take care of him appropriately.
"In 1989, my mom died suddenly and it devastated me because there were so many things unresolved. The way I dealt with it was I just stayed high and drunk: coke and smoking crack. From then until 1999, I was in full-blown addiction.
"On August 30, 1999, at 3 a.m., something happened to me. I remember a guy mentioning this program called Arena B, a residential treatment program. I had no money and a broken leg; I was a mess. But I went into the program - I begged to be let in.
"Soon, things started clicking. I completed the program, got my own affordable apartment, and got involved working at the Downtown Drop-in Center. It felt really good. But in 2003, I was in a really bad car accident and I had to have surgery and almost lost total use of my left arm. I became homeless again; I lost my job. I slept in my car for two weeks in front of the Midnight Mission and started going to the Downtown Mental Health Center to get help because I felt like dying.
"A case manager over there said, 'Oh, they're opening an apartment building across the street called the Rainbow.' So on May 1 of 2005, I was the first one in line at 6 a.m. to get an application. There was a line around the corner. I stayed in a transitional living center for 16 months until this place became available. Every week for six months I had to come and sign in to show that I was still interested; it was a lot of footwork.
"When I found out I got accepted, it was awesome. I selected this room because of the view - I call it 'hope.' They even used my apartment as the model apartment to show for the grand opening a year ago, because it looked so homey. Everybody came to my house - the architect doing the building next door - everybody.
"I pay $231 per month for my room, 30% of my income, which is early retirement because of my disability. For the services. We have a fabulous doctor who comes once a week and a psychiatrist - he's real good. We have a gardening group, we have people who come in and facilitate groups, not 12-steps groups, but addiction recovery groups. I attend that. Sometimes I do the garden group and I'm very involved in outside activities too. I go to church and Bible study. This Thanksgiving I will be preparing the food for the whole house, for 89 people. I cooked for the Rainbow anniversary party, too. For the holidays I think it's important that we establish community and family.
"I'd like to try and find some part-time work and try and mainstream back into society, transition into it. But rent is so high now, so to be able to afford some place, well, I don't want to take the cart before the horse. I've been working with the Department of Mental Health for the last eight months, volunteering and taking classes. I got my diploma for drug and alcohol counseling; I got recognition from the State Senate, and an award from the city of Compton - I need to get some frames.
"This has been an awesome year, and this has all happened since I've been at the Rainbow. I don't ever want to be homeless again - it's so traumatizing."
© Los Angeles Downtown News.