LEMOYNE, Pa. - After 27 years of being addicted to drugs, Steve Barndt decided he was ready to get help. It was December of 2002 and he has been sober ever since. Now, he has taken it upon himself to help others in recovery. On November 16, he will officially open JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services.
The center has been a vision of his for about 8 years. He operates multiple recovery houses in central Pennsylvania and this idea is an expansion of his vision.
"I like to think of it as a beckon of hope," he said.
The center provides a coffee shop where people can hang out, a facility for meetings, computers for research and housing for about six men. It was made possible through fundraisers, grants and funding from local behavioral health centers. The mission is to give people and veterans, in recovery, a place to go where they are safe and away from drug activity.
"I'll be in recovery the rest of my life, that's okay. A day at a time, through what's out there for us and a place like this, we can do it," said Barndt.
They are looking for people to volunteer at the center. For more information visit their website.