Giving residents a variety of options for volunteer work also allows Back2Basics residents an opportunity to find their passion.
At Back2Basics, we believe that volunteer work is an essential part of addiction treatment because it gives people struggling with addiction an opportunity to be of greater service. One of the worst aspects of the disease of addiction is how it can cause people to only think of themselves. Addiction makes us selfish, and many people in the Back2Basics program came into it thinking of only the things that feed our addiction. The idea of a community and giving back to one is a foreign concept to many people dealing with addiction. The fact that Back2Basics sees community outreach as an important part of recovery gives residents a chance to rewrite the script.
A person who volunteers in their community is more likely to have a stronger sense of purpose and feel like they belong in the place that they live. We want our residents to feel like members of the Flagstaff community for as long as they are with us and beyond.
At Back2Basics, we want every resident to feel like they are of service to the Flagstaff community. It is why we have residents participate in volunteer work such as highway cleanups, working at local food banks, and working with Catholic charities. These events help our community while showing our residents that they are an important part of that community.
Giving residents a variety of options for volunteer work also allows Back2Basics residents an opportunity to find their passion. Everyone latches onto different causes when it comes to volunteer work. Some people find a love for the outdoors and find a lot of purpose in community cleanups. Others like being around people and helping them, so the food bank becomes a good fit. A variety of ways to help the community allows program participants to find their true calling.
Establishing a connection to the community via volunteer work is a good thing for those in recovery. Back2Basics is a microcosm of support in the greater Flagstaff community. We have program alumni who support each other in their sobriety and most importantly those alumni continue to be of service to themselves and others by continuing to volunteer within the community.
Finally, Back2Basics residents doing volunteer work unquestionably benefits Flagstaff and the groups we work with as a whole. Every highway cleanup helps make a cleaner Flagstaff, every food bank receives another volunteer to help feed the hungry.
It is amazing to live in a community that helps pick people up who are going through recovery and it is amazing that Back2Basics residents and alumni are inspired to pick up their community in return. FBN
By Joe McNamara
Joe McNamara is the transition program coordinator for Back2Basics Outdoor Adventure Recovery.
Back2Basics is an adventure recovery program, up to six months, for young adult males ages 18-30 with substance abuse issues looking for a positive and meaningful life. In our program, clients are exposed to a weekly combination of both wilderness adventures and residential programming. For more information, visit back2basicsoutdooradventures.com, call 928-814-2220 or email rduprez@b2badventures.com.