Alexis Meints was enrolled in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago after graduating from Pekin High School. She wanted to be a fashion designer.
A pregnancy thwarted those plans. Back in Pekin, alcohol and drugs eventually took over Meints life. Her parents moved out of state, meaning an important safety net was gone.
Meints said she got clean for a number of years. To make ends meet, she started giving people rides. The payment was often in meth instead of gas money. It was like a really bad cycle, admitted Meints, 26. I wanted to die every day.
Meints came to Springfield to address her drug addiction at Gateway Foundation. That s where she heard about Wooden It Be Lovely (WIBL), a program started at Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church that provides women who are struggling with addictions or other serious issues with jobs refurbishing furniture and sewing.