In Part 1 of this deeply personal podcast episode, Ben and Jessica Owen share the raw truth of addiction, redemption, and purpose. Hosted on The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, the episode tells the story of how two former addicts returned to the very neighborhoods that nearly killed them—only this time, they came back as builders of hope.
Ben and Jess once lived in Memphis’ worst dope houses. They shot up in the same rooms they now renovate. They were surrounded by violence, trafficking, and chaos—until they made a desperate promise:
“God, if you get us out of this, we’ll come back for everyone we left behind.”
And they did.
After leaving town to find sobriety, the Owens began their healing journey. But it wasn’t enough to save themselves. Ben felt a calling to return to South Memphis—not to revisit old pain, but to reclaim the territory and rescue others still trapped in addiction, prostitution, and despair.
Through their nonprofit We Fight Monsters, the Owens began buying and renovating the same crack houses they once used in. Today, these “hope houses” provide shelter, safety, and support to more than 75 people—many of them survivors of addiction, trauma, and sex trafficking.
What makes this work different?
It’s real. It’s lived. And it’s rooted in grace.
In the episode, Jess opens up about the emotional weight of walking back into spaces filled with ghosts—and how those rooms now echo with healing. Ben talks about the mindset shift that comes with owning what tried to kill you and using it to save someone else.
“These homes are sacred now,” Ben says. “They were built for destruction. Now they’re foundations for life.”
They also discuss the power of peer-led recovery, why conventional treatment systems often fail, and how lived experience becomes a superpower in helping others through darkness.
Whether you’re in recovery, love someone who is, or simply want to see what real grassroots change looks like—this episode will move you.
It’s not just a story of second chances. It’s a blueprint for street-level transformation.
🎙 Listen to Part 1:
Ben and Jessica Owen: Transforming Dope Houses Into Hope Houses (Apple Podcasts)
Stay tuned for Part 2.