The road to recovery is a challenging process, but a key part of recovery depends on the individual as well as the program. Recovery Contacts, Inc is a recovery program that currently helps 71 men on their path to recovery by offering more than just a place to stay. However, the place they’re staying could use some tender, love and care.
Brian Blackington is a recovering addict and says he started his road to recovery at the RCI house.
“It was a good place for me to get my life together. It all started here for me because this is where I came after treatment,” Blackington said.
He’s now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RCI.
“Seeing other people come through here and have goals and be successful is truly a blessing,” Blackington said.
Blackington, along with RCI, are helping other men like Thomas Crabb turn their lives around.
“I was riding a bicycle when I came in and now I have a brand new car. I’m a manager at Dollar Tree. I have my own landscaping business on the side,” Crabb said.
Crabb was in and out of treatment and was homeless for nine years. Now, he’s a House Manager with RCI, helping those who are in the same position he was in not that long ago. Because when he felt like he had nowhere to go, RCI offered more than just a bed.
“It took me hitting my absolute rock bottom to realize that isn’t the life I wanted to live anymore. I was struggling with employment. I wasn’t very employable and when I came in, they gave me a chance to find a job, pay my rent. I am very grateful,” Crabb said.
Crabb isn’t the first success story to come out of RCI, nor will he be the last.
“To see them reunite with their children is good. To see them start working a stable job and becoming financially dependent is good. Then they move up and get their apartment and to see them come back around is even more of a blessing because they are grateful for where they started,” Blackington said.
RCI has five different sober living houses plus a house specifically for veterans. The RCI house in particular has been around for 14 years and is in need of repairs.
“They deserve a nice place to be and recover, they truly do deserve that. But there hasn’t been there type of money to do those types of renovations because it’s very serious,” Blackington said.
But it’s going to be a job from the bottom up.
“Around the windows. Those are old, old, old windows, so they leak a lot of heat or air conditioning. Then this brick is in really rough shape because it’s old, and nothing’s been done to it in a while,” Blackington said.
Renovations will cost roughly between $150,000 to $200,000.
“See the floor is falling here. We got plywood over it for now. And it’s unleveled. You can feel it. It’s sinking right here. There's also been issues where we’ve had to re-texture areas on these walls,” Blackington said.
The group has tried grant writers, they’ve tried it all. But coming up with the money is difficult. And although the 16 men staying in this house told KRIS 6 how appreciative they are to be here, a little TLC never hurts anybody.
“I think they would be amazed and so happy with the renovations. I know I would be,” Crabb said.
RCI will be holding a benefit on Saturday, February 8 at the VFW in Calallen to raise funds for all the houses under RCI but also in hopes of getting closer to their goal to be able to complete renovations on the RCI house.
The organization is also looking for anyone to help donate tables for the benefit. To help out or for more information, contact Blackington at 361-227-2136.
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