TLC has some 85 employees, most of them clients who work for us as part of their program. And some have been with us more than 15 years. You might ask why anyone would work for that long in a recovery program?
After all, they can make a lot more working in the the larger community, while having more freedom. But the reality is that many of them haven't done well with money. And as to freedom, many ended up in prison or jail because of their behavior.
We also have clients with independent sources of income who work for us for little or nothing because they get something more important. They are required to be accountable. They must show up at a certain time. They are subject to drug and alcohol screenings at any time. They have to display decent behavior or they'll find themselves in a group counseling session. They can’t hang out with shady people. They get to live a meaningful life while being of service.
Our employees become part of the larger TLC community. We become their surrogate family. When one gets sick a bunch of people show up at the hospital. If they need to get somewhere and don't have transportation we get them there. If they're hungry, they'll be fed. If they get into emotional wrecks, someone will listen.
Belonging and having a purpose in life is an important ingredient of happiness. And I’ve had more than one client tell me they’ve never been happier than during their time with us.
