Apricity is a nonprofit organization that provides men and women in recovery with residential treatment and ongoing recovery support services. (Photo courtesy of Apricity).

By Laurie Lewis, Development Director, Apricity

Mana is a Hawaiian name which means “positive life energy.”

It’s also the name of the peer-run home that is part of Apricity’s sober living program for men. The sober living home is the final step before total independence for those striving to win the battle over substance use disorder. Providing this final stage recovery house was made possible by a $115,000 grant from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region supported by the U.S. Venture Fund for Basic Needs and the J.J. Keller Foundation and other community partners.

Mana House at Apricity

Sober living homes provide a nurturing atmosphere where individuals are empowered to continue their recovery in a long-term, supportive environment with others who are in similar circumstances.

This environment promotes building community and prevents potential isolation. Solitude and lack of support, whether personal or environmental, are two of the most common reasons for relapse. Spending time in a sober living house helps individuals in recovery gain strength and confidence from their housemates and peers.

House managers live on site at gender-specific homes with Hawaiian names: Mahalo (which means “gratitude and respect”) for men, and Ohana (which means “family”) for women. After completing a three-month stay at Mahalo, men may transition to our peer-run home Mana.

Each home has five-to-six bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Residents participate in weekly family meals, contribute to the homes overall well-being through chores, and attend house meetings. Recovery coaching sessions are also available.

Most of the 119 men and women we have served thus far would have been homeless, or had no safe place to go after leaving treatment, if not for these sober living houses.

They also learn skills paramount to attaining self-sufficiency: interpersonal, communication, budgeting and how to maintain a full work schedule and still allow time for self-care in order to maintain a health recovery. Here they learn how to rebuild their lives emotionally, spiritually and behaviorally without the use of substances.

Apricity Sober Living homes provide a number of services:

• A live-in house manager
• Access to scheduled and structured peer-based services
• Life skills and personal development workshops
• Alcohol and drug screenings
• No fee one-on-one recovery coaching with a Certified Recovery Coach
• Access to employment and vocational learning cetner within Apricity Contract Packaging

The Basic Needs Giving Partnership within the Community Foundation is supported by the U.S. Venture Fund for Basic Needs, the J.J. Keller Foundation, Inc., and other community partners. Learn more here.