A special (for me) episode of Hoarders this Monday
This past spring I was invited to help during the shooting of an episode of A&E TV’s emmy-nominated Hoarders program. The client, Ruth, lives in St. Louis and extreme cleaner and show regular Matt Paxton, with whom I’d worked on a previous episode, asked me to recruit a couple of other organizers and help during the shoot.
I was joined by Karel Worley and Julie Hough, who are terrific, upbeat organizers. We had a tremendous time assisting behind the scenes as Ruth’s home was cleaned out. The wonderful guys from the St. Louis franchise of 1-800-GOT-JUNK were also there, working their hearts out.
Julie Hough, Karel Worley, Matt Paxton and me at the end of the shoot
Since then, Karel, Julie and I have been working with Ruth as part of the show’s aftercare program. Ruth is truly a special person, with a wonderful, caring family. Getting to know Ruth and her daughters has been really enriching for me personally and I am so grateful to the show for involving me.
Ruth is grateful, too. She told me that the her involvement with the show has truly been life changing for her. That makes me so happy.
I know that these programs are sometimes criticized for being exploitive or for involving clients who cannot handle the stress of the clean out. In this case (and in the case of Brad, a client I worked with for TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive), Ruth was able to make some shifts that allowed her to let go of possessions that were truly holding her back. She’s maintained the order that we’ve created. Being involved with the show has truly given her a new lease on life.
The episode airs Monday, September 17, at 9 pm/8 pm central on A&E. If you miss the airing, you can also catch it online on A&E’s website. I doubt you’ll even catch a glimpse of Karel, Julie or me. I haven’t seen the episode, but I can tell you that Ruth’s story is tragic, but hopeful. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Tagged with: hoarders, hoarding, television
Comments
Thank you, Sue! I hope you’ll watch the show on Monday!
Janine Adams September 15, 2012 05:24 AM
About Janine
Hello! I’m Janine Adams — a certified professional organizer based in St. Louis, and the creator of Peace of Mind Organizing®.
I love order, harmony + beauty, but I believe that the way that you feel about yourself and your home is what truly matters.
If you’re ready to declutter with a purpose and add more ease to your life, you’ve found the right blog — and you’ve found the right company.
read more »Links
- Are you interested in becoming a professional organizer?
- Getting to Good Enough podcast
- Institute for Challenging Disorganization
- Metropolitan Organizing
- NAPO St. Louis
- Ravelry
- National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals
- Organize Your Family History
- Shannon Wilkinson, life coach
Congrats to some of the most deserving professional organizers in the area. I’m sure it was just as life-changing for you guys as it was for Ruth. Can I just say the picture of the 4 of you is gorgeous!!!!!!
Sue Anderson September 12, 2012 11:27 AM