REAL LIFE
406 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219 www.reallifeprogram.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Our mission is to assist individuals who have been impacted by incarceration or homelessness, or who are battling substance use disorder by giving them an opportunity to overcome their personal and community barriers and obstacles faced within the community that hinder their prosperity and ability to have a thriving life.Our vision is to walk alongside our clients to see them grow into a prosperous and thriving life, while highlighting the barriers associated with those exiting incarceration and overcoming addiction, in order to reduce the negative stigmas and stereotypes.Our mission develops a relationship with each person we serve (Lifers) that equips them to make the visible progress necessary for their personal pathway to a Thriving Life. Along the way,we engage the community and bring awareness to the needs of Lifers. Our work meets a standard of accountability we call compelling stewardship that allows us to engage Lifers with a level of service and financial effectiveness.

The REAL Life Community Center (RLCC) opened in December 2017 as a catalyst for overcoming addiction, sustaining sobriety, and providing a pathway to a thriving future through cultivating stronger families, gaining meaningful employment, and improving personal interaction skills, while building a foundation of faith. Due to an additional need we quickly began to see with women who are pregnant and battling addiction, or pregnant and recently released from incarceration, we also have an Expectant Women Case Manager who works directly with women in these situations.Our primary objective of the RLCC is to attract and serve individuals with a desire to overcome their substance use disorder (addiction) or sustain their sobriety, in order to help equip them to achieve a thriving life. The unique attribute of the Community Center is providing clients with a path to thriving, not just recovery. It is the idea of recovering to something greater than what was lost.Individuals who desire a catalyst for overcoming addiction and sustaining sobriety, leading to a pathway to a thriving future are welcome to the Center during hours of operation. Clients meet with their assigned case manager in order to develop a holistic planned designed specifically for them, which walk them step by step to a thriving life.

As a response to the growing need for sober housing for those exiting incarceration, REAL Life open a recovery house for men in May of 2017. Opened initially for men released from The REAL Program inside of the Richmond City Justice Center, we now also serve men exiting incarceration from other jurisdictions, as well as those in the community in need. Those residing in The REAL House will continue their rehabilitation and recovery through the same behavior modification model utilized within The REAL Program."The REAL House is a dream come true for us," said former Sheriff C.T. Woody, Jr. of Richmond. "This home allows men who do not have a place to go after release to have somewhere to lay their head, and continue their rehabilitation. One of the major obstacles to recovery is finding housing post release. Those that have nowhere to go when they leave a jail are that much more likely to return to their old ways and wind up back in jail. This house will allow them to have a safe place to stay while they continue their recovery in a structured environment, continue their rehabilitation if they're addicted to drugs, and find a job so that they can take back their lives and become contributing, responsible members of society."

It is our goal to meet clients where they are through either connecting clients with existing resources or fill the gaps where they are present. While Richmond has many great resources through non-profit and government resources, often individuals do not know how to navigate or access the many options. This is where REAL Life helps guide and connect them with such resources, such as housing, medical, or mental health. However, REAL Life also provides services/resources where there are gaps due to lack of services, whether that is due to not enough resources or none at all, such as cell phones, bus tickets, job assistance, mentoring, etc. One of our 'flagship' services is our weekly "alumni" meetings, which is a means of keeping a network of recovering individuals from our program together, as well as provide a plethora of meeting topics, such as 12 steps, obtaining a driver's license, budgeting, cooking, raising children, or anger management. The REAL House, located in South Richmond, was opened in May 2017, as a response to the growing need for affordable housing for those exiting incarceration. The house is also available for men exiting incarceration from the RCJC and is a six-month sober living home, which utilizes a similar behavior modification program that was found within The REAL Program in the RCJC.The REAL LIFE Community Center is the newest offering of REAL LIFE. The Center opened as a response to a need in the community for men and women exiting incarceration, as well as those in the community needing assistance to overcome addictions or barriers that hinder success. Whatever situation individuals find themselves in, REAL LIFE is able to help through intensive case management in the Center, as well as a wide variety of classes, services, meetings and groups at the Center

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