COMMON RECOVERY

Our Mission-Sharing the experience of God's transforming love with weary & hurting people through compassionate fellowship & life instruction. Part III Peer to Peer living. Affordable, sober, & structured housing for people to reside while breaking the cycle of addiction. In 2025, 9 men were served through the peer project. They are holding jobs and working, paying their bills, & building a firm foundation in every aspect of their lives. They are learning how to set goals and accomplish them. It's a brand new life for many who come into the Peer Project; they have only known the drug world, cheating, stealing, lying and so much more. Today these men know a different lifestyle-They are becoming men of their word, people trust them again, and they want to do the next right thing. It is very encouraging to us & newcomers to see their peers live out their recovery & enjoying this new life. When new people come into Common Recovery they look upon the wall of plaques hanging there with the pictures of the people who have commenced the Peer Project Program. They are inspired to see the successes & even recognize some of the faces. They want to see their pictures on the wall too. The most rewarding aspect of this ministry is to see peoples lives changed for the better. Feeling hopeless, beat down, unwanted & desperate for the madness to end, they find that after a few short months for those that are willing to follow instructions most of them begin to change. They start to smile, stand up a little taller, recognize how valuable they are, & look you in the eyes when talking to you. Many who are willing, open, & honest discover a whole new way of life. They are growing spiritually, they have peace, they are happy, they are sober, & they are recovered. The changes that these people under go is so profound that often times people ask what happened to----? They become a source of light for the newcomers because they want to give back & they want others to receive what they got. You see they are most qualified to help, because they know. All Participants who come into the Peer Project are given clean linens, which includes towels, sheets, & blankets, also a clean bed, & dresser, for their personal use. Internet, TV, a full kitchen, laundry facilities, heat/AC, & bathrooms are all available to them & everything needed to live in a house comfortably. All these things are provided at no extra cost. The Peer Project allows the participants to remain in & be a part of society, yet is a structured environment as they learn how to live in recovery. They are required to remain sober, attend classes & functions, meet with a caseworker, do chores, volunteer in their neighborhood, & become productive citizens in the community. They also are required to get a job & pay weekly fees. Food, clothing, & personal hygiene items are the only things that they need to provide for themselves. Common Recovery has helped provide these things as necessary when someone first comes into the program.

Common Solution Recovery (CSR) Every Thursday, we hold an educational course in 6 week segments that runs consecutively. We present the definition of the problem, the solution, & the action required to fully recover from addiction & have a new life. This class is not limited to people in the Peer Project, but also is available for any man or woman who is struggling with alcohol/drug addiction & wants to stop. This year in 2025 we were able to hold 8 complete 6 week sessions in which we had 372 attendees, some new and some repeaters. Out of that, 27 completed the 6 week course. Some of them are working the steps & living in recovery, once desperate & broken themselves, now want to give back & help the newcomer. These ones can really be a benefit for the newcomer; to see their peers that have completed the course & still come back to class with them, sharing their strengths & hopes.The consumer has become a provider, not only for the benefit for the new people coming in, but also for themselves, because you can't keep it unless you give it away. We had 6 presenters this year to teach the class! Spiritual Growth (SG) Every Tuesday we hold a group to discuss spiritual principles using the bible & other christian books and we serve dinner to all who come. It is a meeting for people to share openly, a place where they can feel welcome & have sense of belonging. This is a place where people can grow both spiritually & morally. The people that come are not faced with judgement, but are accepted, loved, & have opportunity to build real friendships. In 2025 we went through 4 different studies, among these, "30 Days to Understanding the Bible", "My Heart Christ's Home", and "Good or God", were some of the books we used & multiple bible stories also. Our attendance was 698 participants. Some repeat with 57 new people. Our class size ranges to as many as 21 to as little as 4 attendees per week. We offer a welcoming environment that gives people a chance to learn about who God is, who wouldn't ordinarily come to such a group because they haven't been able to ask questions and share opinions openly. We try and offer an open place where people can share and not feel uncomfortable in this type of group because they don't think they are good enough or that they wouldn't be accepted. SG classes are open to all not just those dealing with alcohol/drug addiction. Our Spiritual growth church says come as you are and we mean it, come receive the love of Christ. No dress code, all we ask is that people wear clothes. We don't care if people are covered in tattoos, have bright colored hair, or piercings, the point is we want people to feel welcome & have a place to freely worship & belong. SG Church at Common Recovery is a place that people receive love & acceptance. We eat together & fellowship, have a time of worship using our mouths and instruments, & we pray and read the bible together. It's church for the outcast, the rejected, and ignored junky that has lost all and has no hope. These people are welcomed by us because we once were like they are and we know how to help. Sharing the experience is another group that we have weekly on Fridays. It is an interactive group presenting the 12 steps as given in the book of Alcoholics Anonymous with bible study and discussion. We encourage people to share their thoughts and experiences as we walk out our salvation and offer a new way of life for the newcomers. In 2025, we had 366 people attend. Mostly repeat people with some new comers. Our groups range from being 14 the largest to 2 being the smallest. Going into the local jail weekly on Monday's and visiting the men in the MIND Dorm (men in new direction) sharing simple bible principles and presenting the steps, offering a place to share, to grow, and to find understanding. Some of the men from this program have come into the Peer Project when released from jail. This is just another way that we reach out in our community to help show people the way out.