The Recovery Review: July 2018

Posted September 25, 2018
in Newsletters

The Recovery Review

Real Hope for Addiction

Isaiah House Newsletter, July 2018

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” Psalm 33:12

Vision and Hope

Life can be challenging. Sometimes our situation looks so hopeless that we want to quit trying. Life knocks us down again and again; it’s easy to lose hope especially when you have a loved one enslaved by addiction. But it is often not the most gifted people who succeed. It is often the humble, dependable folks who tenaciously refuse to give up.

The apostle Paul was that kind of person. Paul’s outlook allowed him to undergo intense hardship and pain with an unwavering faith in God. For Paul, it wasn’t as much a matter of will and determination as it was a matter of vision and perspective.

Few things are more important to effective leadership than vision. Good leaders foresee something out there, vague as it might appear from the distance, that others don’t see. Godly leaders who are followers of Christ must first have a vision of who God is and the future he holds for them. They must also have a sense of what God has called them to do.

Paul was given a vision from God – a vision that enabled him to withstand trials and temptations without giving up. But there was a second vision Paul possessed. The first was of heaven, his future home. The second was a vision of his earthly ministry among the Corinthians. He knew God had called him to minister to the Gentiles (Romans 1:5). And he knew that the Lord was directing him to return to the Corinthians a third time. Elsewhere he spoke about his vision to take the gospel to Rome and Spain (Romans 15:23-24).

I began volunteering at Isaiah House as a clinician in 2012. My plan was to leave after three months. I’ve been serving at Isaiah House ever since. I, like many others, will tell you that I remain here today because of a sense of God’s calling and vision. A vision of seeing hundreds and thousands rescued from addiction. This is a vision that God continues to expand. There are new opportunities to launch additional treatment centers for men and women. Of course, these endeavors require significant amounts of money. Vision stirs faith and faith believes that God will raise up others who will also catch the vision of saving lives and will join in giving to make it a reality.

There are a couple of things I challenge you to do. As you seek God through His Word and prayer, ask Him to show you Himself. But don’t stop there! Ask Him to give you a clear image of the work He has calling you to join Him in accomplishing. If it should be to be a part of the future growth of Isaiah House, then we would be delighted to discuss new opportunities on the horizon. Envision yourself sponsoring someone’s treatment, helping to purchase a new facility for treatment, or purchasing property and building buildings for transitional living. Join us in being a part of the vision of saving lives for time and eternity.

Sincerely,

Mike Cox
President, Isaiah House, Inc.

Family Picnic and Baptism

The Isaiah House Family Picnic was held on Saturday, June 30th. An annual family gathering for current clients and staff to join us on our Willisburg campus’s softball field. We rent bouncy houses and even a dunk tank where you can spot the children playing and cooling off in the water. Our kitchen staff lights up the grill and cooks hot dogs and hamburgers, we add delicious sides, desserts and drinks to serve to our guests. Our staff gathers behind the food table to serve everyone. To look around, you can see families gathered with their sons, the men tossing a football to each other and others loving on and chasing their children. This is a special time for clients to see their families. Our staff also enjoys bringing their own children to the Family Picnic to take part in the fun.

This year temperatures were HOT and humid. There is no easy way to describe just how hot it was. Despite the temperature, it was a great time of fellowship. We had good food thanks to Denzil Hall, our Kitchen Manager for manning the grill in the heat, good music thanks to Rise Up, and bouncy fun for the kids. This year we also held a baptism for eleven of our clients.

Michael Magan and Pastor Mark Glasscock of Mission for Christ baptized the men in a blow up pool on the grass. It was a highly emotional baptism for the men and for those of us who witnessed it. Tears were shed, hugs were shared and we all praised the Lord as we witnessed the men dip into the water signifying shedding the old and raising up to a new life with Jesus Christ! The glory goes to God for these lives saved. 1 Peter 3:21 “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” There is real hope for addiction. We here at Isaiah House witness it every day.

(More pictures of the Family Picnic and Baptism are on our Facebook Page. Click on the highlighted words, Family Picnic to see them.)

Isaiah House Graduation Day

No matter how many program graduations are celebrated at the Isaiah House, each new ceremony feels like the first one ever. Especially for the clients who walk across the stage and receive their certificate, every single program graduation is special. Saturday, July 7th was no different at Cornerstone Assembly of God in Danville, as 45 men received certificates acknowledging their completion of the programs’ first phase, and 19 completed the entirety of the long-term program, an incredible accomplishment requiring perseverance, heart and a strong desire for transformation. It was a great day for so many reasons: the house was packed (by the middle of the service it was standing room only for some), friends of Isaiah House Crew 3:30 lead everyone in worship and Jason Gabhart, who completed the program that day, gave a testimony of gratitude about the change in his life that gave all the glory to God.

Senator Rick Girdler of the 15th congressional district prepared official “citations” which he signed for all the long term graduates, showing that the Commonwealth of Kentucky officially recognized their accomplishment. Other special guests were in attendance including faithful Isaiah House supporters Robert Goforth (89th district representative) and, Carolyn Dupont (Candidate for Senate in the 22nd district). There was even a free hair cut thrown in by Touché Salon in Lexington for every man who walked across the stage.

But perhaps the most special part of the day came in the form of the guest speaker. Pat Day, Hall of Fame and 4th winningest jockey of all time, addressed the graduates and the crowd with a powerful message. There are few Kentuckians more highly regarded than Day, and the Isaiah House was happy to have someone of his incredible notoriety as a guest at one of our events. It was his message, however, that made the lasting impression on the crowd. Day speaks freely about his struggles with substance abuse in the early stages of his career and he shared with the crowd how randomly seeing a televangelist late one night in the early 80’s introduced him to Jesus Christ and thereby transformed his life forever. As good of a jockey as Day was, he was an equally good speaker, and everyone in the crowd was deeply moved by his message. The crowd ended up giving him a standing ovation as he left the stage and, as is his humility and heart were not already evident, he returned to the stage, not to take a bow, but to tell the crowd “Thank you for your applause, but if we are going to cheer and praise anyone, let’s make it God. He deserves all the credit, not me.” It is the hope of Isaiah House staff that the guest speakers at graduations can be an example and an inspiration to the men who are being honored. Pat Day was all that and so much more.

Although an article about graduation shows up in our newsletter once a quarter and it can, even in the midst of the celebration, seem like many of them are similar. While the changing of lives will always be the same at the Isaiah House, each client’s individual story of success is always unique and is worthy of as much fanfare as we can possibly provide.

(More pictures are available of Graduation Ceremony and of the Graduation Family Photographs on our Facebook Page. Simply click on the highlighted words to see highlights of this special day.)

Keepsakes Country Diner’s Bathroom Receives a Makeover From Isaiah 58 Builders

The Following Article Was Originally Published in The Kentucky Standard, a newspaper based in Bardstown, KY. It was written by Randy Patrick on July 12, 2018.

Keepsakes Country Diner in Chaplin is closed this week, but it’s bustling as men from nearby Isaiah House remodel the bathrooms and back hall.

The workers, all clients or graduates of the drug rehabilitation center, are doing the work for free, to express their gratitude for a good neighbor and to train some of the guys who are new to the building trades.

Isaiah 58 is the nonprofit’s construction program that helps transition former addicts into the workforce once they’re clean.

“Work will not keep you sober, but it’s a fact of life you have to do it, so these guys, while they’re learning to achieve sobriety, are learning to build a house, to remodel something,” said Daniel Brown, the operations manager and a 2014 graduate of the program.

The work crew is using tools and materials they got from Good360, a national group that helps companies donate excess materials to charities rather than destroy them. David Cobb, spokesman for Isaiah House, said there’s nothing wrong with the stuff, but it’s returned goods, merchandise in damaged packaging and excess supply.

For about $1,000, the rehab center was able to purchase a truckload of tools and building materials from Home Depot worth probably $70,000.

“The first two boxes of tools we opened paid for the truck,” Brown said.

Cobb said it was “like Christmas morning” when the semi came this summer.

“It’s like a mystery box,” he said. “We’ve got all kinds of cool stuff out of there.”

Tools. Tiles. Toilets. Vanities.

The caveat for getting the discount is that they can’t sell it or profit from it. So they used some of the stuff to renovate the old Chaplin School, where the Willisburg-based program has its new offices and residential rehab program. But they had a lot left, and they thought they would use it to help Naomi Lunsford, the restaurant owner who had helped them.

Last fall, when Isaiah House had an open house for the community to ease concerns about having recovering drug addicts living nearby, Keepsakes catered the event. And it’s where Isaiah House staff members often go for lunch.

Naomi is “a gem of this community,” and Isaiah House wants to share its good fortune with its “good friend.”

“We just want to be good neighbors. We want to show our community we’re here to stay,” Cobb said.

Brown said his crew has been working on the restaurant all week. They did a lot of demolition work already, and now they’re putting it back together.

“When we got here, the bathrooms were functional, but not pretty to look at,” he said, describing the bare concrete blocks and plain facilities.

“We just want to try to bring the style that she has out there into here,” he said, nodding toward the dining room. “We’re going to drywall everything and paint, put in new toilets” and sink faucets, lighting and trim. “We’re going to put ceramic tile on all the floors back here.”

One of the workers, Adam Greene, who built houses with his father before he was admitted to rehab, said he thinks the work will take about a week to finish.

Brown said that it’s good to have experienced workers, such as Greene, as part of the mix, to help the others learn and make sure the work is done right.

One of the crew working Wednesday afternoon, Israel Smith, is a master electrician.

“It’s not just a training program. It’s a way for Isaiah House to bring in an income for the facility, so I need experienced people,” Brown said. “If I’m doing a job, I need to make sure that I have some competent people out there to get it done.”

The Good360 and Isaiah 58 project is an example of the kind of relationship Isaiah House wants to have with the people of Chaplin.

“We don’t want to just come in here and take. We want to be able to reinvigorate this community, to give back to it,” Cobb said.

“I firsthand have seen nothing but positive things happen in our community since Isaiah House became part of it,” she said, describing Chaplin as a “close-knit and supportive family.”

July’s Five Star Employee of the Month is Melissa Stringfield

Congratulations to our July Five Star Employee of the Month, Melissa Stringfield!

Melissa is a Medical Assistant at Isaiah House. She assists our Nurse Practitioner, Cassie Music and RN, Michelle Florence. She performs quality checks on equipment, passes out medication, does filing, organization and ordering all necessary supplies for the Medical Department.

Cassie Music had this to say about Melissa, “Missy is one of the most selfless people. She will do anything that is asked of her- even if it puts her behind on her own job duties. She runs to the Dollar Store to get the guys cough drops or anything that they need. She always listens, never complains and she’s just awesome. She doesn’t realize how valuable she is to our team and that our department wouldn’t operate as smoothly as it does if it were not for her.”

When we asked what is it about her job that she liked, Melissa replied, “I want to serve others. I am a part of a great team of people that want to do the will of God. I want to be a good example to the guys who need to see that there is hope and that there are people that care.”

Melissa added, “My job is fantastic. I love Isaiah House. It’s real people that love one another like a big family. When someone is in need, the Isaiah House goes the extra mile to try and help. They give people a chance to live again when they have lost all hope. One of the things I also love about my job is the fantastic ladies that I work with. Cassie is the best boss anyone could ask for! Michelle is an awesome lady inside and out and Jessica Harmon is a great new addition to the Med Room. Ammiegail Simpson is a great lady and a great leader. So these ladies make it easy to want to go to work each day. They have a heart for the guys and want to see them succeed.”

Melissa is an asset to our team and a pleasure to have as a part of Isaiah House’s family. She was chosen by her co-workers. She received a special keepsake gift, front door parking in the designated “Employee of the Month” parking space and she will enjoy lunch with Isaiah House, Inc. President, Mike Cox.

Isaiah House Lends a Hand at the Barbasol Championship

The PGA came to Kentucky during the week of July 16th -27th and The Isaiah House was there to be a part of the action. The Barbasol Championship was hosted by Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, KY over the course of 8 days and brought in some of the best professional golfers in the world. Isaiah House staff and clients got in on the act by volunteering at the event as the ecology crew, keeping the course and the campus of the club neat and clean for the many visitors who came out to see world-class golf.

Each day, about 10 Isaiah House staff and clients arrived at Keene Trace around 9 am, stopped by the volunteer tent for a quick bite to eat and some coffee, after which everyone loaded into golf carts and started driving the course. If any of the vendors had needs that our volunteers could help with, they took care of it promptly and professionally.

As the competition ramped up on Friday and Saturday, rain caused major delays in the action and just about everyone at Keene Trace took refuge in the clubhouse. This gave the IH crew a chance to meet some famous golfers, and celebrities including UK football coach, Mark Stoops and LPGA golfer, Brittany Lincicome- only the sixth woman to compete on a PGA Tour. The rain couldn’t dampen their spirits and as soon as it let up, everyone, including the men of the Isaiah House were back at championship level performance.

The Barbasol Championship, as a sign of gratitude for the volunteer work put in by the Isaiah House, decided to write a significant donation check to the facility. The Isaiah House is extremely thankful to Barbasol, The PGA and Keene Trace for allowing our men to have the unique experience of being PGA volunteers, and also for those organizations’ generosity to the IH mission. We are all in this fight against substance abuse together, and IH is looking forward to partnering with the PGA again in the future.

How Can A Prayer Change A Life?

How can a prayer change a life? We have an answer to that question. Rafael Francisco is Isaiah House’s Evangelist. He sets up a table of Isaiah House merchandise that consists of t-shirts and brochures and preaches the gospel outside of stores and gas stations all over Kentucky. He speaks to people who are often in a hopeless situation believing God has placed him in this job to infuse hope, to pray with and to encourage the people he meets to seek Jesus. Rafael has been a part of the staff of Isaiah House since 2011. His wife, Brandy joins him in this ministry.

Over a year ago, Rafael had set up his table in front of Mr. Kwik Apple Market in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. He noticed a man going in and out of the store several times in one day. Rafael reached out to the man by asking him if he wanted a free gift. The man came over to the table for the gift and then Rafael asked if he could pray with him. The man allowed Rafael to pray and then went on his way.

Fast forward a few weeks later, Rafael was walking in the halls of Isaiah House and heard a man say, “Hey, you prayed for me.” It was Germaine Dunn who yelled to him. Germaine says that he didn’t feel right after that prayer that day. He was in active addiction at the time. Something ate at him for the next two weeks. He actually thought he was losing his mind. He became so miserable that he called his friend, Sid Dunn. Sid knowing about Isaiah House, reached out to us on Germaine’s behalf and drove him to our treatment center.

Today, Germaine has a deep relationship with the Lord. He has graduated our program and has been sober 17 months. He has full custody of his son and has restored his relationships with his children and his family. He is a staff member. Germain creates drawings for Isaiah House, he sings with our band, Rise Up, and he is going to go to college to study Graphic Arts. His life has been restored.

This story is an example of the power of prayer and how God can use a brief encounter and a prayer to effect a life. Rafael sometimes has the privilege of knowing what happens to the hurting souls he prays with, but more often, he doesn’t know. He rests in the fact that God knows.

A prayer changed Germaine’s life. And you know, someone prayed with Rafael’s mother at a Teen Challenge table many years ago and as a result, Rafael was saved from the chains of substance abuse. And there you see… there is real hope for addiction.

Career Opportunities

Clinical Therapist
Are you a licensed therapist looking for an opportunity to work in a growing and dynamic company that offers a full array of clinical services and a Christ-centered atmosphere? If so, Isaiah House, Inc. is looking for YOU! We are currently in the process of hiring multiple therapists to staff another center opening soon. RESIDENTIAL and OUTPATIENT positions are available. ALL SHIFTS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING WEEKENDS. We offer competitive wages and benefits! Preferred licenses for these new positions include LPCC (with capability to provide board approved supervision), LPCA, LCADC, LCSW, CSW or other comparable licenses. Please see our website for job descriptions and to apply.

RN-We are hiring a licensed RN for our Chaplin Center in Nelson County.• Prefer knowledge of recovery, mental health and other co-occurring disorders and experience in working with addiction in a residential and / or intensive outpatient milieu. • Prefer Experience in crisis intervention and conflict resolution skills. • Ability to work in a fast paced, dynamic, fluid and stressful environment. Send your resume to Melissa.howard@isaiah-house.org.

Medical Billing Assistant- Prefer a minimum Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Management, 1 year experience.• If you hold a current medical coders license you must be current on all CEU’s
• Proficient with ICD 9.• Prefer experience working with various funding streams and ability to collaborate with our billing department. Send your resume to Melissa.howard@isaiah-house.org

Book Keeper- We are hiring a Book Keeper. Preferred applicants have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or 5 years equivalent work experience.• Experience in medical billing preferred.• Record A/R.• Reconcile P/C and bank statements. • Print checks.• Record general ledger entries. • Record credits/debits in accounting records.• Run checks online. • Print deposit slips.• Process payroll.• Process payroll taxes Federal/State/Local on a monthly/quarterly basis.• Prepare financial reports for board of directors and grant applications. • Process UNITE vouchers. • Work with CPA to ensure financial accountability.• Ensure all required filings are made in an accurate and timely fashion i.e. 990.• Assist in acquiring any and all financial accreditations. To apply, send your resume to Melissa.Howard@Isaiah-House.org

Making it Simple To Help Isaiah House

As we grow and open more beds to provide addiction treatment for men in our communities, we have increasing needs for items ranging from vehicles and computers to bed linens and supplies for Patricia’s Place and Isaiah House in Willisburg, KY, and the Jake Kuertz Center in Chaplin, KY. We are a non-profit 501(C) 3 organization, donations can be tax deductible. We couldn’t do what we do without you. Thank you!

To donate an item, contact the Public Relations Department by calling 859-375-9200.

Monetary donations can be made through our website by clicking the Donate Now buttons on our Newsletter.

You can support Isaiah House Treatment Center while you grocery shop at your local Kroger. When you enroll in Kroger Community Rewards®, you’ll earn rewards for Isaiah House every time you shop and use your Kroger Plus Card. To enroll your card just click on the logo.

.As you shop online on Amazon, use AmazonSmile and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Isaiah House, Inc. as the charitable organization of your choice. Choose Isaiah House, Inc as your charity and go shopping by clicking on the logo!

Start saving money nearly everywhere you go, just by using iBennie and iBennie will make a donation to us. You can save money and support addiction treatment. Sign up for this free program by clicking the logo.