The men’s addiction and
recovery center known as Serenity House, is realizing more and more
success stories, but much more work needs to be done.
“There is a tagline we use at Serenity House and that is: ‘There is
a solution.’ And there really is,” said Candy Townsend. Townsend is
one of the newest board members of Serenity House and, like many
others, has a story that brought her to the organization. “It was
my daughter,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.
Serenity House Inc. operates five alcohol and drug
abuse residential recovery homes in Northeast Indiana. One of those
homes, for men, is located in Warsaw. The women’s home is in
Auburn. Townsend recalled the methamphetamine
addiction that tore her daughter from her own children and the rest
of the family for a period of more than 3 years. “I tracked her
through court records until Mother’s Day weekend 2012 when I
received a call from her.” Townsend fought back emotions as she
recounted that phone call: “She said, ‘Mom, can you come get me?’ I
found her along the road in Silver Lake with an 8-month-old baby in
her arms that I had never met; that I didn’t even know about.”
While Townsend’s daughter is still a recovering meth addict, she
has completed the Serenity House program and continues to regularly
attend 12-step recovery meetings. She is in the process of getting her children
back in her custody and leading a productive life, and Townsend
largely credits Serenity House for her recovery. “There are lots of
stories like that,” added Hoss Smith who runs the men’s house on
East Fort Wayne Street in Warsaw. “There’s a total of 66 beds in 5
homes and 56 of those were filled the first of July. Here, we have
26 beds and 27 men in the program. I also have a file full of
applications for men wanting to get into the program. There’s
obviously a real need for this.” Founded in 1994, Serenity House
opened its first recovery house in 1995 thanks to anonymous and
public donors. It successfully operates as a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit corporation. The elements of Serenity
House are based entirely on the principles, practice and theory of
the Alcoholic’s Anonymous 12-step recovery program. It is sustained
through donations, grants and by rental fees paid by the
individuals utilizing the program. Smith explained
that every person who is accepted into the Serenity House program
has strict rules to follow. Among those, they have a job, pay rent
weekly and attend regular recovery meetings. “We’re here to do a
job and help people do their job of recovering,” he explained.
Serenity House Inc. board member Jon Cox said the corporation
relies heavily on the public’s support to maintain the program. “It
costs between $6,000 and $6,500 a month to run each of the homes,”
added John Cox. All Serenity House facilities and all
of its resources are dedicated to the concept that, with the help
of other recovering people, men and women can achieve lasting
sobriety with a quality of life they never imagined
possible. “The disease of addiction kills people,”
said Smith. “There is a significant problem in this county.” “But
there is a solution,” Townsend quickly interjected. The solution
can come with first, a realization that those afflicted need to
seek help. The results will come with the dedication they put into
their own recovery. Kevin Bronson, who recently celebrated 5 years
sober, utilized Smith as his sponsor and today says, “I take
responsibility for my own addictions. I deal with the man in the
mirror.” Alchol addictions alone, said Smith, affects 1 in 3
families. Drug addictions continue to rise and Smith continues to
work with current Serenity House residents to encourage their
continued sobriety. “As a community we need to support this program
and we’re really trying now to get the word out that there are a
whole lot of work still to be done in this county.” He added, “This
is a program that makes these guys feel better about themselves,
gives them some self worth and encourages them to be active in the
community. We can’t change the past, but we can change the future.”
Serenity House does not accept insurance since it is a nonprofit
organization. The men who are fortunate enough to qualify for the
program are required to live at the home a minimum of 9 months. “At
that point, they have a 50/50 chance of staying clean,” said Smith.
“They don’t have to leave then, but that’s the minimum. The
recovery rate we have had with those who stay the entire 9 months
is 69.2 percent. Recovery programs are tailored to meet each
individual’s needs. Those with methamphetamine addictions are
generally enrolled in a 2-year in-house program followed by a 1
year after-care program. “We’re trying to make Serenity House more
well known, but the truth is the (Warsaw) house is full and we’re
not even making a dent in the problem. We need the community to get
behind this and support it so we can grow the program and the
outreach.” To learn more about Serenity House, or to find out how
your financial donations can continue to help addicts continue
their road to recovery, call Serenity House Inc. at 260-927-8902,
or fill out the online contact form at SerenityHouseInc.net.