Announcement: Newness of Life Lazrus House Coming To Martinsburg

I have been behind on the blogging for a couple of days. I had some Internet troubles earlier in the week and then it just flowed over. Big inventory coming at work so been very busy there this week. A big announcement was made earlier this week on Facebook by Justin Ponton, Director of The Newness of Life in Huntington, WV:

As you may of heard, Newness of Life is going to be coming to Martinsburg to kickoff a new chapter in Berkeley County. Through some talking and urging from the ...Berkeley County's Recovery Resource Coordinator, it is going to happen real soon. We utilized the new Berkeley County Recovery Resource Center to help guide us through this venture. We are excited to be working together as a team to help with the Heroin epidemic and substance abuse in Berkeley County!

The reason Lazarus House was chosen as the name is because when I think about being brought back to life I can't think of a better example than a drug addict finding a newness of life without drugs and alcohol, without criminal activity, and without the feeling of hopelessness that plagued me in my addiction. Please share your stories of being brought back to life with #IamLazarus and post here on the Lazarus House page. Let's show the world that there is hope and that there ...is a better way.

John 11:17-23
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Our Newness Of Life Director Of Operations Kevin Bowman will be moving to Martinsburg 1/27 to begin the process of opening a new location! Keep an eye out for Newness of Life Lazarus House coming to Martinsburg real soon!

This is great news for many of us in this area.

If you are struggling with addiction problems OR if you have a loved one struggling with addiction problems please reach out to Justin Ponton @ 304- 972-6601 or Kevin Bowman @ 304-412-0668 today. Please visit their Facebook Pages (links above) and visit their website @ Newness of Life

pic belongs to: The Newness of Life

UPDATE On Petition: We Need Treatment On Demand

I went to Mr. James Boyd's event yesterday to Stand Up at the Gateway to the Heroin Highway! The weather was absolutely gorgeous yesterday.

I want to say at least 30 gathered on the bridge and then we went back to the ROC's to hold a meet and to talk about this heroin epidemic here in Martinsburg.

Many of you know that James has been helping a local addict to find help for about two weeks now. On Friday, Lisa was tired of living on the streets and tired of living the life of an addict. She was ready.

James called the hotline only to be put on hold and after twenty minutes or more he made some more phone calls and took her to the Substance Abuse Crisis Team at the hospital.

For a couple of weeks now I have heard some stories about the team there when someone has taken a loved one there. I shared some concerns I was having with James who got to visit and see the team first hand.

What happened there is proof that we need a treatment facility right here in Martinsburg and/or Berkeley County for our local people. When an addict is ready for help we must have treatment on demand ready for them.

When someone is suffering a heart attack or a stroke they go to the hospital. That person will get triaged in the ER, tests are run, they will go to the ICU for further medical care. They are under constant medical supervision 24/7 and will get the best of all medical care.

When someone is suffering from heroin addiction and they go to the ER there they get Narcan. They are often laughed at and put down, called a junkie and later released back to the streets where the cycle of drug abuse continues.

When a person is suffering from a heroin addiction like any other sickness or disease the bed should be ready. An addict shouldn't have to say they are suicidal and going to kill themselves to get access to a treatment facility. It should be available to them when they need it!

Something is clearly wrong with that!

When someone is ready to go get the help and the treatment they need for their addiction, the treatment center needs to be right there and ready to take that addict.

We put up a petition back in late April/early May for this treatment center to be right here in this town. The link to read and sign the petition is: Mayor of Martinsburg and Berkeley County Council

Treatment on Demand

We Need A Treatment Center in Our Town

People are still signing it! Stop by and visit the petition!

© 2016 Gossip Girl

Newness of Life: Lazarus House

Coming Soon!!!!!!

In Huntington, West Virginia

Visit their Facebook page @ The Newness of Life

OR

Their webpage @ The Newness of Life for more information

For more information please call, 304-412-0668

EXPOSED: Human Trafficking In the Treatment Industry

Many people are desperate to get their loved ones help and treatment. In doing so we may forget to check out the integrity of the facility that we will be sending our loved ones to. We want them better and trust all who are in the business to rehabilitate lives. That isn't always the case.

Remember...

The Newness of Life For Women

In Huntington, West Virginia

Visit their Facebook page @ The Newness of Life

OR

Their webpage @ The Newness of Life for more information
You can also call Justin Ponton at 304-972-6602 for more information.

Drug Treatment Access

One of the biggest problems right now in Berkeley County and Martinsburg West Virginia is that we have no treatment center right here.

Those of us who have been able to get our loved ones into treatment comes at the cost of families who have to send their loved ones hundreds of miles away. Our own son is five and a half

Sustance Abuse Treatment Facilities in the USA

I have a page at the top of the blog specific for listings of treatment and recovery services here in West Virginia.

I have been trying to keep this page updated. Although I have this directory posted on that page, I wanted to put it here in a post as well.

The SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Directory of Treatment facilities in the U.S.A.

If interested, this is in PDF form but does not require download. Give it time to load because it is over 800 pages.

SAMHSA National Directory

At Newness Of Life

So, I wanted to write an update on our son Kyle who is already two days into his new life. He chose to go to a recovery house on Sunday, July 10, 2016. To me, he has two days now to celebrate in a year. The day he was born and they day he chose to live.

When we found him he had been doing heroin, pills and coke. He was in pretty bad shape. I had just messaged someone telling them that I had all but given up hope that I would ever be able to save him and the next minute that was exactly what I was doing.

I sent my message and the phone rang telling me if I didn't get there to him my son was going to die. Amazingly he was right there where he told that person he would be. The first step was that he was there. We talked a little about life and about living and he chose to live and fight this demon.

There isn't much to report as this is only his second day. I talked to him on the phone and he was starting to feel it but he's in good hands.

He is at the Newness of Life in Hungtington, West Virginia which will be his home for some months to come. He is five and a half hours away- ten hours round trip. I am a little torn that he is so far away from us, but for once in six months I know where he is and that he's going to get the help he needed for his second chance at living.

© 2016 Gossip Girl