Mark Cross | President
Phone:
802-355-3797
Testimony 07’
This is a community for men that are trying to live a sober (drug and alcohol) life.
I started my journey about four years in an Oxford House for men in recovery. At my interview the President of the house went over all the house rules, chore, and expectations. If I was willing to do these things and follow these rules the house would vote me in. Over the next few months, I learned a lot about living a sober life. Several weeks later the house was shut down for financial reasons. That is when I started the First Step Recovery House, which us a Non-Profit organization 501 (c) (3).for men who are in recovery. It has been a long road trying to work out the kinks over the past three years, now I have a couple of partners that help with the paperwork, bills and many other aspects that are needed to keep the house up and running. We have ten beds for men coming out of treatment facilities, jails, or off the streets. In the first year we didn’t have more than five beds filled at one time, which hurt us financially because each guy pays one hundred dollars a week with everything included. To pay all the bills for the month we need to have nine guys paying one hundred dollars every week. It has taken a long time and a lot of work with the house and the men to get where we are today.
First Step Recovery House is running at full capacity with a lot of men waiting to come in. We have a wonderful President, Secretary, Banker, and job coordinator which are the house jobs for some of the more senior guys. All the men have house chores that must be done every Monday and Thursday night before 10:00 pm. All ten of the men are sober and are looking for a good program, some of them over a year.
Everyone that applies, attends, or has lived in the First Step Recovery House has a common bond. We have all been on a road to destruction. I believe that if you just come in for an interview, or you have done your one-year commitment, the seed has been planted. Everyone sees guys like themselves living a different life.
Less than 5% of the human population that have drug and alcohol issues stay clean and sober over one year. Up until the last six month we have had to ask over one hundred people to leave the house because they could not stay clean. There are many things that I had to do the first year of sobriety. Since that time things have been a little bit easier, and life has been much better. Working with other men daily, and talking about our experiences, strengths, and life stuff give me hope to stay sober another day.