On Saturday, Iron House residents and former Guiding Light Recovery clients Jimmy and Kevin packed their belongings for the next step in their journey, moving to their own place.
Both men came through the doors of Guiding Light over two years ago. They came seeking a solution to their issues with alcoholism and addiction which had brought them to desperation and the brink of financial, physical, and spiritual ruin. Today, they are a far-cry from the men they once were and shining examples of what long-term substance abuse treatment can offer. Both are upstanding, morally virtuous men who have taken action to overcome their challenges. What Jimmy and Kevin are doing, today, is an example of what the end-goal for the Guiding Light Recovery program ultimately is. Namely, we seek to guide men, and show them that they are capable of becoming self-sufficient and contributing members of society again. We seek to help men live fully to their God-given potential. Only a few years ago, Jimmy and Kevin were homeless and hopelessly caught up in the vicious cycle of addiction to drugs and alcohol.
This is what success looks like for the Guiding Light Recovery program. We seek to pull men up from crisis, give them the resources to create stability, and teach them the tools to pull themselves back up and on their feet. Unlike other substance abuse treatment programs, Recovery at Guiding Light places an emphasis on long-term care. We do not offer a band-aid solution. We do not make short-term promises. What we do offer, however, is a rehabilitation program that is “no-joke.” We recognize that it takes much longer than a month for men to get over the many chronic and cyclical issues of financial destitution, homelessness, and addiction. The Guiding Light Recovery program is four-months in length, and upon completion, clients are given the choice to stay longer, find work, save money, and move to Iron House. Many, when first admitted into the program, are reluctant to stay longer than, as one client jokingly recalled, “four-months and one second.” As time goes on, however, many come to realize the need to implement a truly long-term solution to their problem. It also helps to know that men that come through Guiding Light and move to Iron House have a 78% chance of achieving long-term sobriety of over a year or longer.
Simply put, the Guiding Light Recovery program is a solution that works. The fact that it is offered to men at no financial cost to them is a remarkable net-positive for our community. Although it costs roughly $300 a day to house, feed, and teach Recovery clients, the only cost to them is their honesty, open-mindedness, and sincere willingness to better themselves. This is only possible because of the generous community of support that surrounds us. It is from donors, advocates, and volunteers…people like you, that make this all possible. Today, men like Kevin and Jimmy are fully self-sufficient and positive, contributing members of the community again. They could not have done it without you. From all of us at Guiding Light, clients and staff alike, God bless you thank you so much for all that you do for us.
