(NewsNation) — One program hopes to help men struggling with addiction have a better chance at recovery.
Lanier Young is the executive director of The Wheelhouse, which helps provide housing and assistance as men work on recovering from addiction.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Young turned to social media to help keep the program afloat.
“We do not have any significant stream of government funding. So our donations had come to a stop. And our program is dependent on men who have completed our program coming back and helping those who are in in our house, in our facility, recover from their addiction. So we had no men coming back to work, we had no funding at that point,” Young said.
The Wheelhouse offers three phases of recovery, starting with 30 days of free housing.
“It’s first-come, first-served, and we focus on the 12 steps. And then after 30 days, they can transition over to a 90-day program, a second dormitory where they pay $90 a week for their bed, while they look for a secure job, then they start paying rent. And our third phase we just opened last year is a sober home to men $150 per room and they can stay up for two years in that third base,” Young explained.
Young isn’t just the director of the program, he’s also a graduate.
“I came to the warehouse with no money no job. I was living in my car. I had no driver’s license. It had been revoked. By that point. I was addicted to alcohol and sub drugs. And I was I was drinking 24 hours in and out of consciousness blackouts. And I came to the wheelhouse I stayed for seven months, I did what they told me to do and I’ve been clean and sober ever since,” he said.
For more information, visit The Wheelhouse online.