“Life is meaningless without purpose and hope”…. these were words spoken by one of the
The ‘bottom’ – the turning point – is different for each addict. Unfortunately, for over 100 people in the U.S. a day, that bottom is death. For our speaker, the bottom came when a 30-bag-a-day cocaine habit ended with an epiphany after almost dying from another overdose. Eventually he ended up at the Mission’s Recovery Program where he found a place of acceptance, spirituality, hope and possibility.
The Mission is an all-male, Christian-based recovery center founded in 1889 and built in the middle of what was once known as Morristown’s “Rum Alley.” The original program focused on providing meals, lodging, clothing and temporary work for alcoholic men. Up until about 10 years ago the majority of residents in the program were middle-aged alcoholic men. Both the age and addiction have changed in the last decade and now the facility is primarily filled with twenty to thirty-somethings battling addiction to Opioids (Heroin, Morphine) and Cocaine.
The Mission focuses on three key tenets: meals, shelter and hope.
- Meals – they serve 220 meals a day – 3 meals a day for the residents of the Mission (those in the program) as well as hot breakfasts and dinners available to the local homeless population.
- Shelter – they provide temporary residence for the men in their recovery program and open their doors each night as emergency shelter for homeless men.
- Hope – their Life Change Recovery Program is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation/recovery program with a unique format of support, education and spiritual care.
As each resident in the program moves through the various stages the focus and scope of their program widens. With each stage, they physically move up through the floors of the building from one floor to another until they graduate from the program. Along the way they have mandatory intensive counseling (individual and group), participate in regular bible study and chapel services, and take classes on things like anger management, fatherhood, relapse prevention, finance, chemical dependency, etc. Educational skills are evaluated and training is offered for building necessary skills (including completion of their GED if necessary). By the end of the program they are working outside the Mission and attending offsite NA and AA meetings as well as church services. These are some of the ways the Mission strives to ensure their program residents are able to function on their own once they graduate. Program graduates are given assistance with resumes, interviewing, finding jobs, finding places to live, and connected with additional services they may need (like Medicaid, SNAP, etc.).
It is a very comprehensive approach to recovery. The Mission also offers a variety of
As our group of volunteers toured the Mission, we met several of the program residents and each spoke about what the Mission meant to the changes in their lives. It was remarkable to hear how the mission ministered to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and to hear how they have been transformed and were now focused on helping themselves and others.
“Brokenness is a vessel for change….” our speaker had said at the beginning of our evening, “Addicts are overcomers. They persevere and conquer… if they do that with the Grace of God and face it outward towards others, that’s powerful. They can do great things.”
He went on to say that it was at the Mission where he found acceptance for who he was, not as an addict, but as a human, and found the structure, love and support that helped him redefine his life. I left my visit thinking about human potential and the ability to fuel change and strength in others. This is one of the wonderful legacies of the Mission.
For more information on the Market Street Mission or to make a donation, please visit: http://www.marketstreet.org/
