Last year, a couple walked through our doors who had been unhoused for 7 years and living with opioid addiction for over two decades. At first, they came for meals, coffee, and a safe place to rest — and for months, that was enough. Safety is the first step in recovery.

Over time, they opened up to our care coordinator, and we learned they had multiple warrants in another county. We transported them there, advocated for them, and the judge released them with orders to continue peer support at East Lake Recovery Drop‑In Center.

Months later, we referred them to our partners at One Roof for housing support. They kept showing up — meeting with our case manager and social worker, staying connected, staying hopeful.

Eventually, they made the brave decision to enter treatment together. We searched until we found a program that would accept them as a couple: Bradford Health Services. They completed the full 3‑month program, and the day before graduation, their housing voucher was approved.

But they still needed a place to stay. We put them in a hotel for 10 days — breakfast there, lunch at the center, snack bags for the evenings, groceries, and the occasional warm take‑out meal. When funds ran low, they had to return to an abandoned apartment. It broke our hearts, but we kept going. For three more weeks, we transported them to Rapid Rehousing appointments until finally — finally — they got the keys.

Today, they stand in their own home with four months clean.

This is what committed collaboration looks like. Community partners, legal advocates, housing teams, treatment providers — and a couple who never gave up on themselves.

East Lake Recovery Drop‑In Center is proud to walk alongside them. Their story is still being written.