Earlier this year, Union Mission announced the launch of Men’s and Women’s sober living facilities on the Brookside Campus. The purpose of this new program is to offer transition help for men and women graduating from addiction recovery programs or those needing supervised housing due to other legal circumstances. The two separate facilities provide accommodations for the residents with more personal space, more freedom, and affordable rent. To be eligible, residents must have a job, must be willing to submit to weekly drug testing, and must submit to house rules such as curfew and cooking/cleaning responsibilities. The new program is already bearing fruit.
Stephanie S. is the first Sober Living House Manager for the women’s dorm. She graduated from Union Mission’s Addiction Recovery Program in November of 2023. As the House Manager, Stephanie works with the other residents to make sure the house is maintained, the common spaces like the living room and kitchen are clean and tidy, and that curfews are honored by all residents. In exchange for this responsibility she gets a reduction from her monthly rent. Stephanie, however, recently reached another huge milestone in her recovery journey. She was able to purchase her first car.
“This is a very big deal for Stephanie and for anyone overcoming addiction for that matter,” says Denise Kennedy, Director of Recovery Services at Union Mission. “Being able to purchase a car and to have it properly registered, and be fully in compliance with the law to drive it is huge. Many of us take for granted our ability to hop in the car and go to the store, church, or visit friends and family. Imagine trying to do those simple tasks when you have lost your license or your car isn’t legal. The anxiety around the fear of getting arrested is piled on top of the issues they already face with their addiction. While it isn’t right and we don’t condone illegal behavior, it just makes the pit they are stuck in that much deeper.”
Stephanie’s ability to purchase her car comes from a very simple formula. Stay sober, find a job and report on time to that job, and save money. She works full time at CAMC and saved enough money to place a nice down payment on her Chrysler with the ability to finance the rest. Union Mission’s Sober Living program encourages each resident to follow every step of this formula. Each small victory helps build confidence.
“When a resident has a moment of success like Stephanie buying her car,” says Janae Biram, Recovery Services Coordinator at Union Mission, “it creates motivation and inspires the other residents. They realize that these opportunities are reachable. It helps them buckle down and stay focused. They see the moment of joy that Stephanie is experiencing and want to feel the same.”
Stephanie now has a little more freedom in the Sober Living program. She no longer has to work around the public transportation schedule to go to the grocery store or rely on Union Mission to get her to and from work. While she still has a curfew to maintain, she has the freedom to take a drive on her day off and enjoy summer recreation.
“Stephanie wants to keep building on her progress,” says Denise. “The next step is to find a place of her own within the next year and be able to move out of the Sober Living dorm. She wants to further her career at CAMC as well. We love to see residents like Stephanie reach these milestones. It gives us hope for her and for others in the program.”
Sober Living facilities are in high demand in central WV. Union Mission is already seeing great interest in our facilities even after being open less than two months. Please pray both of these programs can help people transition back to living on their own and to continue to resist the temptation of addictive behavior. If you would like to know more about our programs, please call our office to request a tour.
