Pastor Larry Wilkins found a way to
help combat the opoid epidemic in
Locust and surrounding areas with
sober living houses.
Services. The money is going to be used over a three-year period of
time for the sober houses.
The windfall allowed Wilkins to expand his organization’s
capabilities including repairing the houses and including more
people. There are now a total of 10 men, five in each house. He
is planning on opening a third sober house in Locust, which he
acquired a few months ago, in the spring.
The grant money has also allowed Wilkins to work full-time for
Gateway of Hope, which has allowed him to network with similar
recovery communities across the state.
In order to live in the houses, the men – the youngest is 18
and the oldest is in his 60s – are required to work a 9-to-5 job,
pay $125 per month and have to attend four meetings, including
a Bible study, in the evenings each week. “We give them a safe
environment where they can land here, we give them a little bit
of structure but enough freedom to make their own choices, too,”
Wilkins said.
There is no set timetable for how long the men can stay in the
program, which is called Legacy Sober House. The men can stay as
long as they are a benefit to the house and the house is a benefit to
them, Wilkins said.
Even though he gets an average of around 10 calls a week from
people looking for a place to stay, he said as of now, five people is
the maximum number for each house.
Wilkins visits the two houses daily and conducts the meetings.
His three children have also gotten to know the men and he has
gotten to know some of their families.
| WINTER 2020
WEST
WEST STANLY
STANLY – – THE
THE MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE | SUMMER
2019
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