They came into the Times office like the three musketeers. Three women, who by their own admission have been “to the depths of hell,” are on a mission to open a safe house for women transitioning from jail into treatment for alcohol or drug addiction.

The trio — Garnet Adams, Denice Harding and Janet Taylor — are recovering addicts and each has a unique story to tell.

Garnet is a breast cancer survivor and became addicted to pain pills; Janet said she did crack cocaine just because it was around, and Denice was in a jet ski accident and became hooked on Oxycontin. The three went through treatment together and all are mothers. Janet has been sober for 14 months and works at Kroger, a job she obtained through The Counseling Center’s HopeWorks program; Denice is a stay-at-home mom and has been sober for 16 months, and Garnet, who is disabled, has been sober for 12 months.

They are raising money to start a safe house, which they call Patzy’s Safe Haven, in honor of Denice’s sister, who died of a drug overdose about five years ago.

All of them work the 12-Step Program for women in jail, and through this recovery program, they have discovered many women need inpatient treatment for their addiction.

Their goal is to help women in need of treatment obtain a safe and sober home, which allows them to overcome obstacles that might prevent them from becoming clean.

Right now, Garnet, Denice and Janet have their own obstacle — money. They need donations to help them reach their goal of becoming a corporation and securing a residence for women who need their help.

Initially, they need $125 to secure their non-profit status and begin writing grants for funding. They also are planning several fundraising events.

But the common denominator among the women is their mission of hope and their desire to do this together. As each takes the 12-step recovery program into jail, they are finding women who have no hope. “That’s what we want, to show them hope can be found,” Harding said.

“Listening to these people saying they have no safe place to go, you realize they’re either going to get high or drunk again,” Adams said.

“In treatment, we learn tools on how to stay clean, and if we’re clean we can help somebody else stay clean,” Taylor explained.

Their dream is to provide a safe place for women — a safe haven to avoid negative influences that caused them to either drink or get high, and move them from a life of drugs or alcohol to a clean and positive life.

How you can help:

• Donations may be sent to Patzy’s Safe Haven, 410-B Park Ave., New Boston, OH 45662

• Upcoming fundraising events for Patzy’s Safe Haven: Taking items to the flea market in Wheelersburg, July 25 and now accepting gently used items; bake sale at Wal-Mart, July 31; car wash at Tim Hortons, Aug. 22, and cans for donations have been placed at Frank’s Bar, Hickie’s Restaurant and American Restaurant.

• For more information, call Denice Harding, (740) 250-9696; Janet Taylor, (740) 352-3574; Garnet Adams, (740) 464-7414, or the secretary-treasurer, Tiffany Justice, (740) 285-4498.

DEBORAH DANIELS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 234.