HISTORY

Our House (Edmonton) Ltd. is an Addiction Recovery Centre, whose sole purpose is to provide an environment where individuals with addictions can embark on a recovery process directed towards a meaningful, productive lifestyle. It is a non-profit, Limited Company registered in Alberta under the companies act on April 10, 1985. Our House is registered under the Income Tax Act as a charity.

Our House started operations at 10826 - 98 St., Edmonton, in May 1984, as a result of the concerns of Parishioners of the Anglican Church of St. Stephen the Martyr. At that time the vicinity of the church was surrounded by alcoholics, drug addicts and prostitutes. Addicted people found the area to be a safe place to participate in their addictive behaviours. A voluntary Board of Directors was formed from members of the Parish and other concerned citizens from the community. An old house was rented to provide a drop-in service to teenagers and operated on a volunteer basis only. The concept was "addicts helping addicts." The basement of this facility was later renovated to add bedrooms. This allowed for short stays by young male and female addicts.

Our House is not a government funded agency, and since inception, the Board of Directors has taken steps to obtain necessary operational funds. Our present income is mainly comprised of a monthly residential fee of $390.00 to $690.00, depending on affordability, corporate and private donations, and fundraising events that are licensed through the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission: raffles, bingo’s and casino’s.

In 1988, mortgage funds were obtained from Alberta Mortgage and Housing Corporation under the Special Housing Needs Program for the purpose of purchasing our own facility. The 35 year mortgage received an interest subsidy from Federal and Provincial funds. Our House is fully committed to continued community service.

In 1993, a Program Manager was hired to develop a comprehensive and structured “Recovery Program”, including hosting Twelve Step meetings.

In 1995 we hired a Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator to develop both a fundraising plan and a volunteer program.

In 1998 we added a Life Management Skills course. This program, through an experiential format, teaches skills basic to every day living such as communication, facing fears and giving feedback. The course is open to men and women in the community, who have an addiction, and is free of charge.

In 1999 we added an Anger Management Skills course (“Understanding One’s Anger”). This course deals with the impact of anger and conflict in recovery and is also available to men and women in the community, who have an addiction, and is free of charge.

In 1999 we opened the John Hilton 3/4 House. This 3/4 house is located two doors down from our main facility and provides an extension of our program. It offers a living environment, for ten clients, with fewer restrictions than our main facility. This provides extra support and time to gather the resources necessary to successful, independent living.

In 2000, we published a booklet entitled “OUR STORIES” that documents the struggle of sixteen individuals who share their strength, hope and experiences in these testimonials. We hope this booklet illustrates the valuable services OUR HOUSE provides for recovering addicts, and provides an increased understanding of addiction and a greater compassion for those afflicted by this disease.

In 2002, we hired an outreach worker in partnership with Recovery Acres Society to work with clients living in the John Hilton 3/4 House or clients living in the community.

In 2002, we also added the Bridge In Recovery project. Adventure Based Counselling is an experiential learning model that views learning as the result of a combination of the environment and the individual's ability and desire to learn from the experiences in the environment. This annual ten-day retreat takes place in northern British Columbia and allows clients to get in touch with nature and do some deep reflection, goal setting and relapse prevention planning.

Our House (Edmonton) Ltd. currently operates a 42-bed residential facility for adult men addicted to alcohol or drugs including gambling. We are no longer a half-way house, rather, we are a recovery centre offering extensive programming. In addition to providing common basic human needs and a safe environment free from drugs and alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous meetings are held at the House weekly. Programs are designed to deal with the physical, spiritual and social self. Volunteers play a very important role within the agency, providing help in most areas. These areas include fundraising, food preparation, recreation, seminars, and directing the agency via the Board of Directors. Over 8,000 hours were donated in 2003. Staff are on duty 24 hours per day to deliver program, supervise activities, ensure rules are enforced and followed, prepare and serve meals and offer positive support, direction and role modeling.

Most of our referrals come from the two detox centres in Edmonton, along with AADAC facilities throughout Alberta, treatment centres across Canada, hospitals, correctional services, word of mouth and other community resources.

Last revised: March 25, 2004