Addiction impacts the entire family, and successful recovery requires helping both the individual and the family as a whole.

That’s why, in 2021, we launched Men of Nehemiah Families, a program specifically designed to bring the family and addict together to work towards a common goal of recovery for all parties.  

At a recent gathering, a number of families had the opportunity to share their stories of healing, reconciliation, and hope. 

Here’s what one family had to say about their experience:  

“For me, the Men of Nehemiah Families program has been pivotal,” said Phillip, a recovering addict and Men of Nehemiah alumni.

“I began to notice an impact in my life and my family's lives starting with the family workshop. The countless number of one-on-one counseling sessions, family group counseling sessions, and their ability to work with my family individually—when that all comes together, I saw progress in leaps and bounds. I was able to learn a lot about what I was doing wrong. I thought that my way was working perfectly fine, and I didn't recognize the problems.” 

“Following the tools that the family counseling gave me has allowed me to learn how to actually love my family and how to actually treat them and actually be the father I'm supposed to be. I’m far from perfect, and I stumble all the time, but I'm able to recognize those failures and shortcomings instead of responding with, ‘No, they're wrong.’”

“We're really lucky to be one of the first families to have our kids incorporated in all of this, which is so big,” said Staci, his wife. “We forget how important they are and how all of these things affect them. When you throw these men back into their homes and you expect them to be a father, most of them don't know how to be a father because they didn't have that modeled for them. So [the program] gives them the tools to not just be a man, but be a husband and a father.”

Ava, the couple’s 15-year-old daughter, went on to share some powerful words about her experience in the program. 

“My dad was still relapsing, and it just didn't seem to end,” she said. “Fast forward months and he decided to come [to Men of Nehemiah]. It was so scary having to say goodbye to my dad for nine months, but it really wasn't anything new. I had a dad growing up, but he was never there for anything.”

“The third phase came along pretty quickly, and we started family therapy. It was so scary being able to talk to my parents about my family and how just things were going at home. But the more we went, the easier it got.”

“I also had personal sessions, and they helped me so much with trusting my dad, my anxiety, depression, my control issues, and past trauma. As of right now, I don't remember the last time I was this happy.” 

“Not only did me and [my counselor] talk about personal and family life, but she also helped me build a better relationship with God through the power of prayer and reminding me of the importance of it. Being able to be a part of the Men of Nehemiah family by serving and building relationships has been so humbling.”

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Help us bring more healing, reconciliation, and transformation to families impacted by addiction by donating to the Men of Nehemiah Families program today.