Samad’s House founder shares recovery story on 101.7 The Truth

Tahira Malik, founder of Milwaukee nonprofit Samad’s House, discussed her opioid addiction, incarceration, recovery, and the harm-reduction work her organization has built since 2020. Her story, now featured in the PBS Independent Lens film Coming Home, highlights how recovery and community support are helping women and families in Milwaukee.

Why it matters: - Tahira Malik’s story puts a human face on recovery, harm reduction, and the long-term effects of substance use on families. - Samad’s House has become a Milwaukee support system for women and women with children rebuilding their lives after substance use disorder. - The organization’s outreach comes against a deadly overdose crisis in Milwaukee County.

What happened: - Malik appeared on The Grapevine on 101.7 The Truth to discuss her path from opioid use and incarceration to 14 years of recovery. - Malik founded Samad’s House, a Milwaukee nonprofit that now operates three sober living homes and a behavioral health clinic. - Malik’s story is featured in the PBS Independent Lens documentary Coming Home. - The documentary also explores Malik’s relationship with her oldest daughter, Samia Harris, and the strain addiction placed on their family.

The details: - Malik said a car crash after the birth of her first child left her in chronic pain and led to painkiller use that developed into opioid addiction. - Malik said incarceration became the turning point that gave her the space to become sober. - Malik said recovery has been easier than addiction and described addiction as physically and emotionally consuming. - Malik sent her oldest daughter to live with the child’s father when the girl was six, and the separation led to feelings of abandonment that the two continue to address through counseling. - Malik said her parents and extended family helped her endure years of single motherhood. - Samad’s House has helped more than 75 women and nearly a dozen families since opening in 2020. - The organization provides 120-day intensive programming for women and women with children recovering from substance use disorder. - The nonprofit’s Ambassador Program trains recovery graduates who have completed 120 days and stayed active for six more months. - Ambassadors are trained to use naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and other harm reduction tools. - Ambassadors go into Milwaukee neighborhoods to distribute supplies, educate residents, and connect with people who may not seek help on their own. - Malik said Milwaukee County recorded 674 fatal drug overdoses in 2022. - Since 2024, Samad’s House has distributed more than 2,300 naloxone packages and fentanyl test strips. - More information is available on Samad’s House.

Between the lines: - Malik’s message centers on a broader shift from punishment to peer-led support and practical harm reduction. - The documentary gives Malik and her daughter a public space to talk through the family damage caused by addiction. - Samad’s House leans on lived experience as a trust-building tool, especially in neighborhoods where stigma can keep people from seeking care. - Malik frames redemption as a community responsibility, not just an individual outcome.

What's next: - Coming Home is continuing to reach audiences beyond Milwaukee. - Samad’s House is positioned to keep expanding its outreach, sober living support, and overdose-prevention work as the crisis continues.