DAILY LIFE AT BRIDGES OF HOPE
Each day, residents participate in a variety of recovery opportunities, including:
- Daily morning devotional
- AA Big Book studies
- Small-group meetings
- AA and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings
- Off-premises AA meetings
We provide responsibilities for our residents. There is no staff at the Bridges of Hope for cleaning, housekeeping, maintenance, repair, gardening, etc. Residents perform daily work requirements, and occasionally go off-site to perform community service. Some of our facilities offer vegetable gardening, woodworking, and use of a greenhouse to grow plants and flowers. In addition to reducing costs, this self-sufficiency offers our residents a sense of belonging, purpose, and camaraderie.
Residents stay in dormitories and learn to live closely with others. In search of recovery, most come to the Bridges of Hope desperately in need of change in many areas of their lives. Residents learn discipline and teamwork by getting up early, eating together, attending meetings together, working together and recovering together in a highly structured, and rigorous environment. To help residents focus on their recovery, there are restrictions on recreation, phone use and visitation.
At the Bridges of Hope, we use an exit interview to insure residents have the best possible chance at long-lasting sobriety. Beginning approximately 45 days prior to a resident completing the program, we provide this exit interview for completion. We want our residents to begin planning where they are going to live, who their support system is going to be, and exactly how they will carry the tools learned at the Bridges of Hope with them as they move into the next stage of their lives. We provide support and access through our office staff, such as phone and internet research, to set-up arrangements for a halfway house, future education enrollment, and any other needs relative to the resident staying sober and being successful in life. By the time the resident completes the program, a concrete plan is in place that begins the moment he leaves the property. We believe this gives the resident the best possible chance to stay clean and sober as he moves into the next stage of his life.
