FORT SCOTT, Kan. — What started as one woman’s recovery journey has turned into a mission to help others fighting addiction in Fort Scott.
Path of EASE Association CEO Jennifer “Jenny” Simhiser opened Redemption House, a transitional recovery home for women and children, after overcoming years of addiction, depression and suicide attempts.
Today, she hopes the house can become a place where women feel safe, supported and free from judgment while rebuilding their lives.
“I’m a grateful believer in Jesus,” Simhiser said. “I’m a recovering drug and alcohol addict.”
Simheiser said her depression started at a young age and eventually led her into alcohol use, crack cocaine and methamphetamine addiction. She said she attempted suicide several times and nearly died during her last overdose.
“They had to use multiple rounds of Narcan on me,” Simhiser said. “Only by the grace of God, I lived through that.”
Her recovery journey began while she was in rehab. Simhiser said seeing the faith her daughter had in God encouraged her to reconnect with her own faith. She began reading a Life Recovery Bible, listening to sermons and attending church after leaving rehab.
According to informational brochures created for Path of EASE, the organization’s mission is to provide a nurturing and supportive environment where individuals can rediscover peace, purpose and stability through recovery. The program emphasizes family-centered recovery, faith-driven support, peer accountability and personal growth.
After spending time in an Oxford House in Topeka and rebuilding her life, Simhiser said she felt called to return to Fort Scott to help address addiction in the community.
“I really felt the Holy Spirit telling me to come back here and change the addiction problem in Fort Scott,” she said.
To make the dream possible, Simhiser sold her house, moved back in with her parents and worked overtime while renovating the property that would become Redemption House. The home now serves women in recovery and mothers with children.
Residents are required to attend therapy, recovery meetings and maintain accountability within the house. House rules include mandatory sobriety, random urinalysis drug testing, attendance at therapy and 12-step meetings, weekly house meetings, curfews and participation in faith-based support programs. Residents are also expected to either work or actively seek employment while living in the home.
“We’re really here to help support one another and help each other grow in recovery step by step,” Simhiser said.
The house also conducts random urinalysis drug tests, or UAs, to help monitor sobriety and identify when additional support may be needed.
Simhiser said transportation quickly became one of the biggest challenges after opening Redemption House because many recovery meetings and church services take place in the evenings when public transportation is unavailable. To help solve the issue, she presented a proposal to the county requesting a van for recovery transportation services.
The van is now used to help residents attend recovery meetings, church services, appointments and other community resources.
“Transportation doesn’t run on Sundays, and a lot of meetings are in the evenings,” Simhiser said. “I wanted to make sure the ladies could still get where they needed to go.”
Simhiser said the van will also support future expansion plans, including transportation for residents at the upcoming men’s recovery house and visitors to The Ripple Effect, the future recovery and resource center planned for the former Keyhole building.
Simhiser said Redemption House focuses on creating structure while still allowing residents to maintain freedom and family connections. New residents spend their first 30 days under closer supervision before gradually gaining more independence.
“There’s room for second chances,” resident Jayden Robinson said. “It’s not just like if you mess up, you’re completely done.”
Resident Jonna Miller said she arrived at the house after struggling with addiction and has now reached the longest period of sobriety she has had in two years.
“I actually came in off the streets with one day sober,” Miller said. “I’m proud to say I have 51 days sober.”
Another resident, Tina Edwards, said she came to Redemption House directly from a treatment center and stayed for five months before moving into her own apartment.
“She told me she was going to do great things,” Edwards said of Simhiser. “She didn’t let me down.”
Miller said the environment inside the house helped her feel comfortable with herself again after years of addiction.
“I have not been comfortable in my own skin in 20 years,” Miller said. “Seeing myself come back alive again is awesome.”
Simhiser said the home operates through community support, donations and rent paid by residents. She credited several organizations and groups for helping make the project possible, including the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, Fort Scott Youth Home, the city, the county and the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation. She also said the opioid settlement fund helped install a privacy fence around the property.
Brochures for the organization state that Path of EASE aims to provide sober living options and connect individuals with recovery resources while reducing stigma surrounding addiction.
“I came back here to bridge the gap and end the stigma,” Simhiser said. “Addiction is the only disease people expect you to beat while everyone insults you.”
Beyond housing, Simhiser hopes to continue expanding recovery resources in Fort Scott. Her next project is transforming the former Keyhole building into a community resource center called The Ripple Effect. The center will include peer support meetings, church services, games, activities and recovery resources all in one location.
“The opposite of addiction is connection,” Simhiser said. “If we don’t get the addicted community connected to the rest of the community somehow, then that addiction doesn’t ever go away.”
Plans for the center also include guest speakers, recovery meetings, youth support programs, trivia nights, karaoke events and community gatherings aimed at creating safe and supportive social spaces for people in recovery.
Simhiser also plans to open a men’s recovery house called the Weddell House in the future. She said the goal is not only to provide housing, but also to help remove stigma surrounding addiction.
“I’m a very weak person with a very strong God,” Simhiser said. “This is not me. This is God. I’m just a willing vessel.”
Simhiser said seeing the transformation in residents keeps her motivated.
“I’ve seen ladies get their kids back,” she said. “I’ve seen ladies have more clean time than they’ve ever had before. That’s what keeps me going.”
