Journey is not just a name painted on a propane tank on a small rural acreage southwest of Kingfisher.

And it’s not just the name of the calico cat who’s cozily made herself a permanent part of the household.

For recovering addicts trying to solidify and maintain their sobriety, regain their self-respect and rebuild their families, journey is the name of the game.

Most addiction counselors agree that recovery is not a weekend destination; it’s a lifelong journey that requires diligent commitment and readjustment.

Journey Center director Ron Porter relates that thought through the Message Bible’s version of 1 Peter 1:18.

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood....

Just past its first anniversary, Kingfisher’s first sober living house celebrated its first successful graduation and is looking forward to two more soon.

Journey Center, a project of Frontline Ministries, is a residential program designed to support men in drug and/or alcohol addiction recovery and help them transition back into independent living.

The program has been directed from its inception by Porter, an associate pastor at Frontline, who also is the live-in supervisor at the house.

Six men are currently participating in the program, most as referrals from the from the Kingfisher and Canadian county drug courts.

“When they first come in, we take four to six weeks to focus on getting them acclimated to the residential program,” Porter said.

The men get started in a curriculum to work through the obstacles to their recovery. They also participate in Alcoholics Anonymous on site and may be enrolled in outpatient counseling, as well.

“The books are geared toward their recovery – ‘Loving and Accepting Myself,’ which is from the Teen Challenge ministry, and the ‘Breaking Free’ series,” Porter said. “We also use the Recovery Bible.”

Once settled in to the routine of the house and their responsibilities there, residents begin “work therapy” at one of several local employers who contract with Journey Center to fill particular skill sets.

“Ace Hardware, LuGreg Trucking, Hartzell Heat & Air and Viacore are some of the companies that work with us,” Porter said. “We’re very grateful that they and others been willing to give our residents a chance.”

“Journey Center has helped many individuals transition from addiction to employment,” Kingfisher County Associate District Judge Lance Schneiter, who presides over the county’s drug court, said.

One of those people is David, who graduated the program in August and is now a full-time employee at Ace Hardware as well as a regular volunteer and mentor at Journey Center.

“That’s exactly how we want to see it happen,” Porter said.

“We have two more upcoming graduates – one next month and one the end of December – and both will be added fulltime to the payroll of businesses where they are working their therapy jobs now.”

David’s Story

A methamphetamine addict since the age of 14, David recently marked 500 days of sobriety and gives God and Journey Center all the credit.

“I’ve been in and out of jail and prison and this is my fourth recovery place I’ve tried,” he said, noting the first three weren’t faithbased.

“My thought was, I’ve tried everything else, why not give God a chance,” he said.

David’s partner Veronica has been with him for five years and said she noticed a difference by his second month at Journey Center.

“He just seemed happier and more confident in himself,” she said. “And he’s definitely a lot different now than when he came out of other rehab programs.

“Before, he would be clean but then go right back to doing the same thing he did before and hanging out with the same people.

“Now, he doesn’t put himself in situations where he knows he’ll be triggered (to use again).”

Family -Oriented

“It’s more like family here,” David said. “It’s not like you’re a number to get them more money.

“They genuinely care about you.”

The program is family- centered in every respect, Porter said.

Residents function as a family unit within the house and their own families join them each Sunday for family day, when 35-40 people are often on the property, playing games and sharing a meal.

Unlike some faith-based programs which control every decision made by participants, Porter said the Journey Center’s family approach encourages sound choices but acknowledges each person’s free will.

“We make sure everyone understands the consequences of not following the rules but then we give them the rope to make those decisions for themselves,” he said.

“Some people make poor choices and that’s sad when we have to call the judge and report that.”

Rebuilding Relations

After a fierce zoning battle that kept the center from opening within Kingfisher city limits due to residents’ concerns about safety, Porter’s been focused on rebuilding community relations over the last year.

“It was a challenge for our community because of the fear and the horrible picture that the national media has created about recovery,” he said.

Porter has been working to change those attitudes with community service work such as mowing lawns and painting houses and outreach at local churches where he and the center’s residents have shared their testimonies.

“We want to be seen as a blessing,” he said. “Drug addiction has become such a horrible problem and I think people are seeing the value of something right in our community that can change a man’s life.”

While Journey is currently a ministry of Frontline, Porter said a number of other churches also support the program.

“The ladies’ ministry at the Lutheran church donated shampoo and other toiletries and laundry soap and we’ve seen the same kind of support from the Federated Church,” he said.

“We’re open to come minister at any church that would like us to do that.”

The center has applied for 501(c)(3) status to establish itself as a stand-alone entity, which also will open the door to other funding sources, he said.

Porter has a whole list of goals to accomplish over the next year, including renovating an outbuilding to serve as a meeting space and constructing tiny homes from cargo containers to serve as temporary housing for graduates transitioning back into the community.

Longterm plans include opening a women’s sober living house at another location.

“Probably 75% of the phone calls I receive are from women or their families seeking help,” he said. “It’s a huge need.”

Family Freedom Fest

The center is hosting a community-wide family day Saturday, Oct. 29, that is open to the public from 5-8 p.m. at 14062 E 850 Road, Okarche.

Hot dogs and smores will be served with train rides for the kids, a live worship band and testimonials from program participants.