Project Hope

Many of you are familiar with my story. Years ago, my father and I battled opioid addiction and homelessness, a path that inevitably led to incarceration for us both. We shared our story in “Hooked”, a Top 10 finalist for Podcast of the Year at the 2022 Ambies. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you haven't had an opportunity to do so.

Today we are in recovery, thanks in part to the justice system and the unconditional love and support of our family. My father has been clean off opiates for 9 years and I will soon be celebrating my 5 year anniversary. That being said, it’s heartbreaking to know that friends and family members continue to struggle with addiction and homelessness.

In the years following our release from prison, we’ve been focused on developing a strategy to help others and make a positive difference in our community. Our elected officials are ABSOLUTELY failing us when it comes to addressing the addiction and homelessness crisis. King County, for example, has spent almost $1 Billion over the past 10 years, only to see the homeless population increase (source: www.komonews.com 4/9/23). Tent cities, Tiny Home Villages, RV-“safe”-parking-lots, are all band-aids. The traditional 30-day Inpatient Treatment model that has been the industry standard for decades now, is ineffective for treatment of opioid and methamphetamine addiction. The success rate is well under 10%. As a community, we must demand permanent, cost-efficient, common-sense solutions.

Today, we are excited to launch our new business, committed to helping others that are struggling with addiction and homelessness. These are our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors. They need help in finding hope for a meaningful future through recovery.

Our mission is to open a 96-bed Residential Recovery Center in the Snohomish County area. Residents will stay for 6-12 months and participate in a multi-phase recovery program. The first 3 months will focus 100% on recovery and mental health. During Phase 2, residents will receive assistance with employment and/or educational needs. And finally, Phase 3 will focus on developing a transition plan to permanent housing.

Will a single Residential Recovery Center solve our communities addiction and homelessness crisis? Absolutely not. However, it’s a step in the right direction and a model that once proven successful, can be easily replicated. The demand for quality treatment has never been higher.

The bottom line is we need a little help to get our business off the ground. Initial funding will be used to obtain required business licenses, set up our website and develop preliminary building plans.

Washington State has secured more than $1.1 billion via litigation against opioid companies. All of this money must be used to fund opioid remediation (source: www.atg.wa.gov 6/12/23). Our plan is to secure funding to build a Residential Recovery Center through grants and private investment.

We understand that times are tough given the state of our economy. If you’re unable to support our project with a small financial contribution, please SHARE this post with others.

We have the lived experience to make a difference. Thank you for your consideration.