President

Sonshine wasted many years in addiction, trying to fill the brokenness inside. She began mentoring hurting women in 1998. She joined the Christian Motorcyclists Association and their Prison Team in 2005. She joined the La Porte County Drug Free Partnership (LCC) in 2007, serving on the Board as their 2009-2010 Treatment Committee Chair. She earned an A.A.S. in Business Administration from Ivy Tech in 2008, her last semester as President of Kappa Beta Delta. Sonshine earned certification of, and began facilitating MRT® a Cognitive Behavior Program, to the Ladies at the LaPorte County Jail in February 2008. She began teaching weekly bible studies to “her girls” in April 2008. She is the founder of Worthy Recovery Inc. dba Worthy Women Recovery Home. Read more in her Founder's Blog.  

“I grew up in a German orphanage for the first 8 years of my life and then my mother married  my new Step Father who had just returned from  2 Tours in Vietnam!  IT was 1973 and we were coming to live in America!    I was sure that life would be great,  however, my hope was twisted with anger, alcoholism and physical abuse. I was a foreigner, a social outcast; no one called it bullying.   Seeing it, I began drinking at 11 years old and then started smoking pot.  I wasted many teen years addicted, angry, lonely, depressed and suicidal.  I began working construction in 1983. By 1995, hard  living caught up to me. I suddenly faced attempted murder charges. My dreams came to a dead halt and I didn’t care.  But I had a landlady who did! She loved me as God loved her, and saved me from possible Prison time, from 3-5 years.   Oct. 2005, I joined the Christian Motorcyclists Association Prison Team Ministry and saw the reality of prison life.  Gratitude welled up in me.  I became certified in Moral Reconation Therapy MRT® a cognitive behavior program for offenders, and then joined the La Porte County Drug Free Partnership July 2007.  I began facilitating MRT in the La Porte County Jail in  February of 2008.  May 5, 2008, I graduated from Ivy Tech Community College with Honors. Overwhelmed by women being rearrested and returning to jail, I started Worthy Women Recovery Home on Nov 5, 2008."  Sonshine

Vice President

Debbie Swisher

Linda has worked for the City of LaPorte Utility Billing Office for 30 years.  She is married and has two grown children and two grandchildren.  She was past President of the La Porte Exhange Club (dedicated to the prevention of child abuse) and is in charge of scheduling and also works in the nursery at her church.  "I had been looking for a good cause to get involved in and when I met Sonshine and saw the passion and excitement she had for Worthy Women and that this program was Faith based, I absolutely knew this was what God wanted me to be involved in.  After meeting some of the women she has helped and seeing what she had done for them, I know without a doubt The Worthy Women Recovery Home will be able to help many women transition from jail out into the real world."  Linda contributes greatly with her upbringing in La Porte and years of meeting people, and is not afraid to ask for donations.  Linda is retired with 30 years of bookkeeping experience and contributes greatly to the finance committee, as well as fundraising and whatever needs to be done.

Tanya Taschler

Tanya was our first Intern from Purdue North Central in Westville, IN.  She came to Worthy Recovery at the insistence of her Professor, after Tanya's close friend struggled with addiction without her knowledge.  Tanya became motivated to write a report on the Heroin problem in La Porte County.  During this time she met Sonshine and asked to become involved in Worthy Recovery.  Tanya graduated in Dec 2012 with a Bachelors degree in Organizational Leadership, and will receive her second Bachelor Degree in Human Resources in May 2013.  Her insightful view of life amongst the young adults brings a fresh perspective to our Board.  Tanya is staying single, dedicating her life to God, "So God will put a Jesus lovin' man right in front of my face!"  Tanya has over 500 hours of Volunteer time with WWRH, including demolition work, data entry, fundraising, clerical work, and whatever else needs to be done.  She has been to the Jail numerous times as a Volunteer and connects easily with the Ladies inside.  Her future goals include her Masters Degree in Business Administration and using her skills and education to assist us in completing and opening our home!