We are so proud of Valley resident and sober living volunteer Matt Letourneau and his efforts to bring good writing to all readers. We recently received word he was accepted by "Early Action" to Yale University and plans to enroll in August of 2023. Read about Matt here: FULL ARTICLE

CONGRATULATIONS TO Leigh Everitt ! Leigh won a $10,000 Jensen Stern gift certificate in the 2022 MSCL House Chance to Change Holiday Raffle! Thank you to everyone who participated in the raffle and to Jensen Stern for their incredible gift. In ways big and small, you all make a difference—we are grateful. Your consistent and generous support offers significant, lasting recovery to men in our community.

We are thrilled to announce that we completed our Building a Better Tomorrow capital campaign, allowing us to purchase a second sober home in late August.  Located in west Hailey, our new home opened its doors on October 15 and immediately began to house new residents, many of whom have been on a waitlist for some time.  Demand has always exceeded supply and the new house will accommodate another 15 men in recovery from substance abuse annually.  Thank you to our amazing community for helping us realize our dream to expand our presence in the Wood River Valley and our ability to meet the growing need for our services. To our newest residents, we welcome you--we know [...]

In July, the 100 Men Who Care once again came through for the residents at MSCL House granting us over $8,000 toward the Building a Better Tomorrow Capital Campaign to purchase our second home in Hailey. The members of 100 Men Who Care have a special place in the hearts of our MSCL House family. They have steadfastly supported MSCL House since our inception in 2018 awarding us with the very first grant to help furnish our very first home.  That was a momentous time for us.  We cannot thank them enough for coming alongside us through the years and supporting our mission to provide safe, substance-free, affordable housing and recovery services that leads to a life [...]

Liberia found a stunningly effective way to reduce violent crimes. Now the US is trying a similar experiment.

The Role of A.A. in Early Recovery As someone in recovery, I can remember my first time venturing into an A.A. meeting. For me, there was a lot of mystery about who they were and how they achieved sobriety. Before entering the “rooms,” I had reviewed a few things online and was highly skeptical about working the steps, getting a sponsor, and this “higher power” they spoke about. Fast forward eight years, and I see the benefits of the program. I’ve been helped through the A.A. steps and have helped others get familiar with the programs and take the first step to go to a meeting. Although A.A. is not the only way, it is a huge [...]

What happens when you are hungry, thirsty, or tired? Can you focus whole-heartedly on the task in front of you? Are you patient and understanding when a colleague asks a seemingly stupid question? Are you caring when you get a call from your kid telling you they backed up into the neighbor’s car – again? Unless you’re the Dalai Lama, you might be answering no. There is an evolutionary reason for this: to help you survive. Here at Men’s Second Chance Living, we use Maslow’s hierarchy to address the basic needs of our residents in a bottom-up fashion, helping them regain control of their actions and reconnect with themselves and others. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a [...]

Substance use disorders have the highest relapse rates of any other medical condition, with only 21% of those untreated and 43% of those treated achieving long-term sobriety (Moyer & Finney, 2002). Substance use affects an individual’s emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development and burdens friends, family, and the community. Although a person can successfully recover, it takes time, dedication, and ongoing support from all involved. This support looks differently depending on the severity and their needs. Lori Criss, Director of the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services of Ohio, explains the challenge of recovery and how to address it when she said, “Who we spend our time with, where we go, and the things we surround ourselves [...]