Vendor Profile BELINDA BOWIE M y name is Belinda Bowie, and I’ve been a vendor for the VOICE off and on since 2008. It’s been a true Godsend. The VOICE is my go-to. I started using crack when I was 16. It took me away from my trauma and hid my pain, but it became a trap. I’ve been fi ghting substances ever since. In 2023, my heart exploded. They had to rebuild it like a jigsaw puzzle and told me I’m not supposed to be alive. Only when your chest is cracked open, heart rebuilt, do you experience pain. And to cope, the doctors prescribed serious pain medications. Those pills, those opiates, brought back a taste for drugs. I fought for a year, but the temptation was ultimately too much. I found strength living with my daughters. DENVER VOICE I thought I was strong enough to live alone again, but I turned back to drugs. And the shame hit. There is no explaining how much shame I feel when I use. I feel like I can’t go back to the people who love me. I feel like I let them down, and there is no way back. So instead, I moved back to the streets. Recently, I was sleeping on Colfax, with two pieces of cardboard and a trash bag for a blanket. Everything was a threat. That was rock bottom. I took myself to detox. They saw I was trying. They moved me to sober living and gave me another chance. This is where my go-to, the Denver VOICE, came through the strongest I’ve ever felt. They helped me with gifts, home visits, and kind, encouraging words. Life has taken so much from me, but I refuse to give up. I’m hopeful, sober, and ready. The VOICE is the best part of my recovery plan. 7
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