Sobriety support services grow with opening of Recovery Village Hub
Summer Goddard
Attendees are greeted as they arrive to the The Never Alone Recovery Village Hub open house in Pablo last week.
Summer Goddard
CSKT Elder Francis Auld gave a blessing during the opening of a new NARSS hub in Pablo on April 17. Auld said he’s happy to witness the “sobriety storm” that’s rolling through Indian nations.
Summer Goddard
Zac Cannada gets a hug from Dessilynn Brown upon arrival to the recovery hub open house.
Summer Goddard
Steven Morigeau, Pablo residential director, visits with members of the NARSS community in the dining area of the new hub.
Summer Goddard
Community members gather in the downstairs family hang out room where people can play board games, video games or watch movies.
Summer Goddard
Salish Kootenai Housing Authority Executive Director Jody Perez speaks with NARSS Executive Director Don Roberts and NARSS Pablo Hub Director Tony Meyers.
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PABLO — The network of support for those transitioning to live substance-free grew a little wider last week with the opening of a new “Recovery Village Hub” for Never Alone Recovery Support and Services in Pablo. Community members gathered to celebrate with an open house, prayer and blessing ceremony on April 17.
Those who attended were greeted warmly with hugs and offered a meal prior to the blessing and opening ceremonies.
The new hub is an expansion of services in the Pablo area, explained NARSS Executive Director Don Roberts. NARSS’ mission is “to provide long term recovery support services to individuals struggling with addiction and homelessness.” To achieve this aim, NARSS offers drop-in centers, group recovery support, individual recovery support, a recovery residence program, referrals to resources, community outreach and education and contract work.
The Pablo hub, a former residence located at 42297 Second Ave. E., was completely renovated over the last four months and now houses three offices, a group meeting room and a family “hang out” room. The offices are those of NARSS Pablo Hub Director Tony Meyers, Residential Director Steven Morigeau and Bookkeeper and Harm Reduction Specialist Dessilynn Brown.
Owned by the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority, the building is currently being rented by NARSS as it is uniquely situated next to 28 sober living housing units.
Jody Perez, executive director of the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority, spoke to those gathered at the open house.
“I’m honored and privileged to be a part of this,” Perez said. “I feel like it was divinely inspired.” She further described the new facility as a testament to the power of teamwork and praised the work of the NARSS staff and community. “We provide the housing,” she said. “You provide the support for the tenants in these homes … They (NARSS) are the change they want to see in the world.”
“I hope this pilot project,” she continued, “becomes something even bigger.”
CSKT Elder Francis Auld also addressed those who gathered. Drugs and alcohol, he said, push people away from Spirit. “We’re all in the moment of change,” he said. “We have a storm going on – a sobriety storm that’s going through Indian nations.”
Auld, who’ll be 71 soon, said he is happy to see his loved ones and others taking on lives of sobriety. “The lodges are filling again,” he said. “The village is growing.”
