For 15 years Freedom House has lived up to its name. <\/p>\n
The large Victorian home at 460 South F. St. in Oxnard has served as refuge for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. <\/p>\n
Director Jeff Simpson was a former client at the home when it was a state-licensed rehabilitation facility under the name Primary Purpose, which declared bankruptcy in 1995. The location has served its residents for nearly 35 year. <\/p>\n
Now a sober living home, Freedom House has provided a haven for hundreds of men eager to free themselves from alcohol and drug dependency. <\/p>\n
There were people who didnt think this would last, Simpson said. <\/p>\n
Simpson started the program in 1998, believing the strength God gave him to recover from his own addiction would help him help others. <\/p>\n
It wasnt easy at the beginning, said Simpson, who was in the restaurant business for more than 20 years but has no formal business education. <\/p>\n
Simpson worked hard to get recognition from jail officials, probation officers, mental health workers and others. <\/p>\n
The facility can accommodate 21 men in the main house and seven more in a house on the back of the property, set aside for graduates who have been with the program for more than six months. <\/p>\n
Most of the men are on parole for alcohol- and drug-related offenses and need help with the fundamentals of living, Simpson said. Residents must complete a 60 to 90 day program but some have stayed for three years. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
Oxnard's Freedom House marks 15 years helping men through recovery<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For 15 years Freedom House has lived up to its name. The large Victorian home at 460 South F Continue reading