Student Group Brings Smiles to Local Men Facing Addiction
Opinions and A&E Editor Daniel Jimenez
Flood members search the bin hoping to find any salvageable pair of shoes.
Overcoming drug and alcohol addiction can often be a long and lonely struggle. Those who face the challenge without a support system sometimes give up.
However, at the drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation center No Longer Bound, men recovering from addiction persevere through some of the hardest struggles they have ever faced with the help of other survivors, staff, and volunteers.
Some of these volunteers are from the school’s chapter of Flood Student Missions, a Christian service club that carries out charity work in the community.
Flood members spent a morning at No Longer Bound in September. Students were in charge of sorting through donation bins at the thrift shop’s distribution center to see if the items were ready to be sold.
According to its website, No Longer Bound’s mission is to heal these men through Christ instead of putting all of the weight on their own already-weary shoulders.
No Longer Bound accomplishes this through their 12-month program, in which recovering men stay on the campus to receive treatment, while also participating in numerous jobs. These activities include working at a thrift shop or a car refurbishing center, both of which are on-site.
Flood’s Official Chief Encourager Angie Yones said the men were extremely open to talking about their struggles, and their journeys through the program.
“These guys are open books, especially the ones that have been in the program for a few months already,” said Yones, a senior.
Many Flood members said knowing these individuals’ stories made the whole experience unforgettable.
One No Longer Bound participant’s story stood out in particular to senior and Flood Chief Organizer Seth Leigh. This story was Sam’s.
Leigh said he first noticed Sam last year when Flood visited the home. At that time, Sam was a new member working on his personal addiction. In the past year, Sam graduated from the program and was living on his own.
The Bear Witness agreed to withhold Sam’s last name out of respect for his privacy.
When Leigh saw Sam again last month, he saw him in a new light. Sam had returned to No Longer Bound, but not as a resident. After completing the program, Sam had returned to the facility as an intern.
Leigh instantly noticed a change in Sam.
“He goes to all the events and he’s kind of become the face of No Longer Bound,” said Leigh, a senior. “Seeing the change in him through the program was incredible.”
Although No Longer Bound works with life-threatening issues, Flood participants tried to lighten the mood and give members of the program a bit of a break, said Leigh.
“Being a bunch of high school kids, we bring a different attitude and have a lot of fun laughing and talking with them,” said Leigh.
Leigh said that there were many times throughout the event that reflected this exactly.
At one point, Leigh said the group found a large trench coat and decided to put it on him and another member, who happened to be on Leigh’s shoulders. Two other Flood members found a large pair of pants and decided to get in them together.
Little moments of laughter and relaxation like these helped the men escape their cares for a morning, said Leigh.
Yones said she believes Flood’s volunteering with No Longer Bound has lasting effects on the facility’s men.
“They love it when we come and serve,” said Yones. “They do the same thing every day, so it’s very refreshing to them.”
In the end, the event proved to be one of great importance to not only No Longer Bound but many Flood members, as well.
Matthew Smoltz is a sophomore Flood member who said he’ll definitely return next year.
“It was truly awesome to help people who deserve to be helped,” said Smoltz. “It was so rewarding.”
