On January 28th, Guiding Light celebrated the opening of a newly purchased property to supplement our Iron House program.
Iron House is a collection of, now, five apartment buildings consisting of two-bedroom apartments and capable of housing up to 42 men. It is reserved specifically for men that have completed our social outreach programs, and provides a safe, accountable, and independent living option for men that are just beginning to get back on their feet. 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.
On Sunday, the Guiding Light Recovery program moved it’s first tenants into the building. Matt and Tim, who completed the program over three years ago, were the first ones through the doors. Both men moved to Iron House after spending 6+ months living at our downtown facility in Heartside, finding employment, and saving up enough to pay their first month’s rent and deposit. It is ironic for Matt, who once said that his intention when walking through the doors of Guiding Light was to be there for “four months and one second.” It is a testament to the power of responsibility, community and accountability that we seek to cultivate in our programs. Many men come through our doors beaten down by the cynicism and isolation that years of active addiction instills in them. As time goes on, however, most 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. It is, simply put, the best chance for men to achieve long-term and meaningful sobriety.
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 Tim and Matt 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.
