By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
A gift from a Windsor couple is giving the men at Journeys Recovery a big lift.
Thanks to the pair – known only as Bonnie and Roger – the Chatham addictions treatment home has a new-to-them 2015 Dodge van.
The recent donation comes on the heels of a turbulent month of transportation woes for the facility. Early in January, their aging van was stolen. Journeys Recovery got it back after it was recovered by Chatham-Kent police at Moraviantown, but the engine soon clunked out and the home found itself with no wheels.
Program director Matt Kelly said the new van came to them after the loss was posted on social media.
“We got an amazing response from the community,” Kelly told The Voice, noting hundreds of people saw the post and shared it. “It was super cool to see the community come together. We need a van to run our program.”
According to Kelly, Bonnie and Roger didn’t think twice about donating the maroon vehicle that only had 70,000 kilometres on it.
Now in its third year of operation, Journeys Recovery offers addicted men a six-month residential treatment program with some staying up to a year.
Clients must be clean and sober when they enter the Joseph Street facility where they take part in various modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy. The program is Christ-centred, with an emphasis on biblical teachings.
Intake co-ordinator Zoe Mendler, who cofounded the non-profit with Kelly, said that Bonnie, who sometimes needs to use a wheelchair, needed an accessible van which in turn led to the donation.
“They are a super sweet couple,” she added.
Since its founding in 2023, Journeys Recovery is usually at capacity with eight clients. But Mendler said many more need help as there are currently 30 people on the waiting list.
Both Mendler and Kelly hope to see expansion on the horizon.
“The vision from here out is that we need at least 25 beds,” he said. “We need a bigger facility. That’s what we’re working towards. We just need a bigger space. We need a centre.
“That’s kind of where the vision is leading us,” Kelly explained. “We’re putting the feelers out trying to make community partnerships and connections so we can get that done.”
“We want to see that happen because the need is so great,” Mendler said.
