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March 30, 2015
ARC closeup: Richmond, Va.
Nickum knows the path his men are walking
By Laura Haas
Southern Spirit staff
Sergeant Guy Nickum has always had a passion for
helping people in crisis. Growing up in an alcoholic
family, he saw first-hand the damage that addiction
can wreak on a family. His ability to connect with
the men he serves at the Richmond, Va., Adult
Rehabilitation Center comes from a personal struggle
as well.
On March 9, he celebrated 42 years of sobriety.
“Every day that I see these guys I think, ‘Oh, but for
the grace of God, there go I,’” Sergeant Nickum said.
Together with his wife, Tasoula, he has served as
the Richmond administrator since 2013. In that time,
the Nickums have established a special connection
with the Department of Corrections which allows
them to visit prisons making presentations to
and building connections with inmates who are
approaching release. About 75% of the beneficiaries
come to the center from the prison system.
“We have people here who have been in prison
for 38 years, guys in here with multiple murder
convictions,” Sergeant Nickum said.
He also said that many men come to the center
seeking help only to discover that there is a warrant
out for their arrest. Though these men are taken to
prison, he maintains a connection with them during
their incarceration through his prison ministry
program.
“We get out there and visit them and make sure
they are doing OK,” Sergeant Nickum said. “It gives
Eric Jackson, like
some of the other
men in the Richmond center, spent
some time incarcerated and made his
way to the program
to get to work on
turning his life
around. Jackson now
is the assistant cook
at the center and is
rebuilding his relationships with God
and his family.
them a little hope that when they get done serving
their time, there’s somebody who at least cares for
them.”
One such man was Eric Jackson. Sergeant Nickum
had met Jackson when he saw him begging on a street
corner not far from the ARC but it wasn’t until he was
arrested and spent a few months in prison that he
finally came in for help.
“As soon as I got myself out of jail, I came straight
here and I went through the program,” Jackson said.
“It’s gotten me stronger, it’s gotten me cleaner, I enjoy
waking up in the morning.”
Jackson now works as an assistant cook at the ARC.
He attends meetings and church. He has grown closer
to his family and credits his recovery to the prayer
and love demonstrated by the Nickums.
“They never gave up on me,” Jackson said. “Even
when I left here the first time, they were always
praying for me, they were up on the corner with me.”
Sergeant Nickum celebrates his own sobriety along
with the men he serves. He says that doing so helps
them know that he understands the journey that they
are on and the strength it takes to stay on track.
“When you see a person really trying to get their
life together, you just know it’s so tough to make that
decision every day and you know that when they do
it, it’s a miracle,” Sergeant Nickum said.
For J