Live Free and Thrive
“I was not here to live, so I must have been here to die.”
Brandy Rickaby often invokes New Hampshire’s famous motto when she tells her story. Seven years ago, pregnant, facing a federal indictment, and struggling with untreated trauma and substance use disorder, her future looked impossibly dark. Today, she is the executive director of New Generation, an emergency homeless shelter for pregnant women and mothers with young children, and a board member of Hope on Haven Hill, which is where her transformation began.
A Critical Turning Point
In 2017, Brandy turned herself into the Federal Building in Concord and was incarcerated at Strafford County Correctional Facility. She was pregnant, with two young daughters at home. A judge placed her in the jail’s therapeutic community program. Her lawyer was clear: Without a stable housing plan, her newborn son would go into foster care.
While in the program, Moné Cassier, founder of what was then called Sober Sisters Recovery (now Malley Farm for Women), visited to share information about the organization’s services. Because Sober Sisters didn’t have housing for children, Moné referred Brandy to Hope on Haven Hill. Brandy was accepted, and moved in shortly after her release.
“Hope Saved My Life”
When Brandy arrived in 2018, Hope on Haven Hill had just opened its flagship farmhouse in Rochester, New Hampshire. Executive Director Kerry Norton made it possible for Brandy’s daughters to visit. “That was the first time I could hug them without Plexiglass between us,” Brandy says.
Beyond safe housing, Hope provided weekly counseling, group sessions, life skills classes and uninterrupted time with her newborn. As Brandy neared the end of her program, a bed at Hope’s next transitional site wasn’t going to be ready in time. Kerry and her team found an alternative: New Generation had a room available. A crucial door opened.
A New Chapter
As Brandy looked for work, one of her first offers came from Buffalo Wild Wings, the same location outside which she’d been dropped off after her car was impounded a year earlier. She was honest with the manager about her background, and he hired her on the spot.
She balanced work there and at New Generation’s thrift store while continuing her recovery and caring for three young children.
From Resident to Executive Director
Over the next five years, Brandy’s career at New Generation grew steadily: from resident support staff, to care coordinator, to case manager, to family services manager. In 2023, she became the executive director.
“Before coming to New Generation, I never saw myself in a role supporting anyone,” she says. “But hearing others’ stories carried me through.”
Her leadership is shaped by lived experience, but she is careful about what that means. “This isn’t my story anymore. It’s theirs,” she says. “We’re here to connect families with the support that’s already here in our community.”
Building Bridges
Brandy later joined Hope on Haven Hill’s board, contributing perspective as a former resident. “Sitting at the same table where decisions are made, as someone who was once in the program, is powerful.” Her favorite moments are the Mission Moments, where current success stories are shared. “Almost every time, I tear up,” she says.
Her strongest belief is that recovery services don’t succeed in silos. She says, “In New Hampshire, everyone is a phone call or an email away.”
A New Vision of Freedom
“I used to say I was in New Hampshire to die,” she reflects. “What I found out is that I was here to live again. To find myself, my purpose, and to become the mom and community member I’d always wanted to be.”
For more information: New Generation (newgennh.org), Hope on Haven Hill (hopeonhavenhill.org), and Malley Farm for Women (malleyfarmforwomen.org).
Emily Sheffield is a writer and nonprofit development professional living in Maine.