I got over 500 replies regarding the Miracles In Progress Aftercare Recovery House Video.Your comments suggestions, questions and opinions were fabulous and surely encouraged me and will help me with polishing it up a bit as I move forward with this endeavor.
Many, many thanks to those who are professionals in the video and sound industries that offered their service to me at no charge.I am surely an amateur in both areas; in fact this is the very first video I have ever attempted to do on my own.I will graciously take you up on your offers to help in the future.My personal business is a pressure washing and residential painting business.The recovery houses were started by me in 2005 as simply my way of making available to others what was made available to me in my own early recovery from alcoholism and addiction.
A few mentioned the visual difference between the Phase I and Phase II houses.Phase I house is truly the gift.Simply because it caters to the men that are coming directly out of detox, alcohol and drug treatment centers, jail, prison and even psych hospitals, whose core issue is alcoholism and/or addiction.Some are referred through social service agencies that cater to the homeless.They dont have any material belongings; they are unemployed, broke, shunned by family, etc.The majority of these men are not what I would call house broke.They come into the Phase I house and have to literally be taught how to do the adult swim.They get to practice in simple ways the rules of responsibility, accountability and consideration of others.Some have never made their own bed, moms and wifes did the house work all their lives.So, they enter the Phase I house, get a daily house chore, have to sign out when leaving and in when returning, make their bed each morning, be assigned to do yard work, take out the trash, etc.So, Phase I actually looks like what it is suppose to look like given the dynamics of where these men are coming from.Heck, recently a man tried to make his bed, got frustrated and solved the problem by removing all the linens from it, hiding them in the closet and covering the mattress with the bedspread, and even this looked pitiful.He literally had to be shown how to put a fitted sheet on right, tuck the second sheet, and put the bedspread on top so that he could actually get into the bed covers after it was made. Each man is given brand new set of linens, bedspread, pillow, razor, tooth brush, hair comb, soap bar, deodorant, and shampoo upon his arrival.When he transitions to Phase II all of this is his to take with him and the new man taking his bed in Phase I get all new stuff to start off with.In short, a part of Phase I is to bring up the standards of these mens environmental and personal hygiene.Having been eating behind a dumpster at Kentucky Fried Chicken, at closing time, or in community soup lines, having a tray pushed through a slot in a jail cell door, eating off plastic in a psych ward, and now having to prepare, cook and actually clean up after themselves can be a literally new experience for some of them.Some of you asked about why I brought up the food issue in the video.Simply because, not all half way and recovery houses provide this to the residents.The residents have to go to social services and apply for food stamps.Many may need them but some in early recovery are not even stable enough to follow through with what it takes to get them.In North Carolina if you have had a drug related conviction or felony conviction you cant even qualify for food stamp assistance for 2 years.Those that get them, now have food stamps but dont know how to cook anything, so they are buying and eating a bunch of junk food, or microwaveables.This also goes to the issue of getting them to stop being dependent on community resources and points them towards a higher level of self sufficiency.
There were also offers from the MIP online community to provide some beddings; linens, bedspreads, house plants, wall pictures, etc.I was awe struck by the overwhelming number of people willing to help.Thank you for your generosity.Rose and I, with little help sometimes are strapped, because of the expenses related to this endeavor.We do the best we possibly can to make these homes nice and cater to the mens immediate needs for hygiene supplies, clothing, etc.If and when we feel we are falling short in a truly needed area and need assistance from outside sources, we will reach out and ask for help.I promise.To the men coming in to Phase I, most of which dont have a dime, the house is a luxurious haven and a blessing.They arent counting wall pictures, or concerned that we lack indoor plants, or even what kind of blanket is on their bed.They are simply grateful to have a bed, dresser and are in a safe, secure recovery environment to start their journey of recovery from.
A few asked about in house counselors.No, we do not have any professional counselors.We operate from a 12 step prospective, of alcoholics and addicts helping other alcoholics and addicts.My house managers are not degreed educationally, but surely experientially (if that is a word) lol.They do assist the men with getting the assistance they might need with mental health issues, job placement, etc. but I mostly operate under the pretense that Everyone wants to be treated like a man, therefore you need to be willing to act like a man.Otherwise, a unhealthy level of dependency is created and we are more likely to be hurting the mans growth opposed to helping it.Many are quick to become institutionalized, if they arent already.We dont want this, we want them to learn how to do the adult swim and transition into independent living successfully.Also, keep in mind that $90.00 per week per person, (many of which dont have that for their first few weeks) has to cover a lot of expenses.Bringing in professional counselors would require the funding to compensate the professionals at fair market value.It cant be financially done and the cost still kept affordable to the alcoholic and addict coming from the economic status they arrive to us in.We dont provide for or cater to the Paris Hiltons, Mel Gibsons or Brittany Spears of fame and fortune.We cater to and provide for those who are truly at the bottom of the economic spectrum.
Some asked about its Non Profit status.No, we are not a federally licensed non profit.Have considered it, but have not yet taken that step.The Phase I house rarely generates enough funds from the residents to pay its own expenses because of how transient the residents are and the condition they arrive in economically , so the profit that is generated from the Phase II house, which is much more stable often needs to be utilized to cover Phase Is expenses.Keep in mind that Phase I is where we get to determine and the residents get to demonstrate, who is group living environment material, who is serious about their recovery, who is willing to follow house guidelines, who requires more than we provide, that is outside the scope and purpose of our mission, etc. Phase I has what I refer to as a weeding out process of its own.Therefore, when I use the words calmer, more relaxed atmosphere regarding Phase II, its simply because Phase II residents have already cleared the weeding out process, therefore the turnover is much lower in Phase II than in Phase I, and the residents are much more stable in all areas then those in Phase I.
At this time, I would rather everyone consider utilizing their funds to help us bring a Christmas experience into the homes for the men.Walmart/Target Gift cards, DVD/VCR movies, Christmas décor for the houses, Christmas cards being sent to each of the men, care packages for the men, snacks, and holiday treats, socks, t-shirts, stationary items, are what we need help with in the very near future.Last year we only had one house, and 12 men.This year we have two houses and 22 men.The hundreds of Christmas cards (actually 1347) that were sent to them by members of Miracles In Progress online community literally touched the men deep.Some had tears in their eyes as they read your cards out loud.What I was most impressed with is that a few of you had sent gift cards to the men, and when I took these men shopping, they didnt just buy for themselves but they also bought a Christmas present for their room mates from those cards.For many this was more Christmas cards then they had received in the course of a life time, the first time in many years they had received a Christmas gift, or were able to buy a Christmas gift for someone else.The holiday went from being a time of regret, loss, despair and depression to a time of celebration, love, and spiritual awakening.Your Christmas cards turned the light on inside these men.When a alumni member comes back to the house to share in our in house meetings, this is an experience they share; how their Christmas was pulled off by people they didnt even know, from all over the world and give them so much to be grateful for that it over shadowed any hardship they were suffering from during the holiday season.I will be sending out a list of the guys names and address to send cards to again, just give me another week or two and Ill get it out to all of you.As for the slide shows photo and audio quality, I feel it reflects exactly what I am in both areas, a amateur.Doing the very best he can with what he has to work with himself.LOL
If I was to give the video a score based on the responses I got from the online MIP community, I would put it at a +94.Given my financial resources, who I am catering to, its target audience, its intended purpose it promotes itself to a +100.Three treatment centers and two detoxs are already using the online presentation and they think its the best resource they have for encouraging someone who is resistant to living in a group environment.It tends to wipe away a lot of the unknowns that they would face by simply having a intake interview by phone or reading the paperwork. The social workers, counselors and placement personal love it.
Lastly, I am not sure why, but the same video burned to a DVD is exceptionally better.All the pictures are much clearer and the audio doesnt do as much up and down.So, once I polish it up a bit more, I will be sending it to them in DVD form, and not worry about why the video streaming online isnt so crisp and stable.
Again, a big hugh thank you is sent to everyone who responded to my request for their opinion of the presentation and from some of your responses I learned a lot and will remember it the next time I am updating the presentation.
John the video gets compressed or even changes analog( something like that) once put on the net i'm sure someone will guide you along some path to improve it a bit i'm not much help i'm a video editing amateur myself but what you did is really great .
I had no idea you got so many cards last year and i'll certainly help out this year more then last.
I get frustrated some trying to advertise my paitning business low budget its tough hell I made my own door magents for my truck to same $100 I had a friend help me with my website that still cost $$$$ so I understand where your at .
What an awesome gift to these men. SInce I have a brother in Prison from drug related crimes for all of almost 40 years off and on. A Son in the System right now going to trial for drug and alcohol related crimes that will probably land him there. Then there is me that has already walked that walk and am still in Recovery for 13 plus years. Then a Dad that has been clean from Alcohol for 17 yeasr and a Sister out there still for 45 plus years and still drinking. This disease can be arrested. It can be arrested and we can walk in Freedom with a New Life. Clean and Sober with happiness that we never thought possible if we can stop the using and drinking and then learn "HOW to LIVE," One Day at a Time in RECOVERY.
This Ministry brings tears to my eyes because if there were more homes with this type of Generosity, Hope, Recovery, and Love. They wouldn't need to build more Prisons. The Government could builld more Residential treatment homes like these. On our tax money instead.
May God Bless and fill you with his Power, strength, wisdom and courage. Thanks John and Rose.
