Many people have a difficult time understanding how TLC operates. And that's because we're one of a minority of nongovernmental programs in the United States that lets addicts and alcoholics come into our program, whether they have money or not.
Anyone can walk up to our doors with only the clothes on their back and get in if they have a strong desire to get clean and sober. When they arrive it's clearly explained that we're a nonprofit corporation, an unfunded program, that raises all of its own money. None come to us looking for a job. Each comes to us because their life is spiraling downward because they are addicted, broke and no one else will take them off the streets.
Most have no job skills. Some are on parole. 95% are homeless. Many have hepatitis C, while others are HIV-positive or have some other serious illness. But as long as they express the desire to change and get clean and sober we take them into our program.
However, there are certain things they must do. Once they're able to work, we require them to go out into the community and seek employment because we expect them to pay a fee of $125 per week, which covers their meals, housing, utilities, and other benefits such as peer counseling and other assistance.
We usually give new clients a week or two to find a job outside the program. Many of them, though, are unable to find employment. They may have no skills or education. Some have tattoos on their faces. They may not be able to communicate effectively in a job that would require them to work with the public.
In the case of clients like this, we offer them the opportunity to volunteer for TLC in various positions. They might find themselves cooking, doing laundry, maintenance around the houses, driving, answering telephones, doing telemarketing, or one of the other types of chores that keep a program the size of ours in operation. Or they are free to go their way and seek other opportunities, which some do.
Those who stay and volunteer soon find their lives improving. They are able to build up a wardrobe. Their needs are provided for. They have three meals a day and a comfortable place to sleep. They find themselves making friends in the 12 step programs as well as at TLC.
Those who volunteer with us have an opportunity to learn different job skills. Some learn how to maintain the buildings. Others learn how to cook. Some of them develop skills that they can use outside of the program in the construction trades, such as carpentry, roofing, air conditioning, hanging sheetrock, and so forth. Others learn sales skills by working on the telephone doing outreach to other programs that deal with addicts and alcoholics.
And after a while, many of these volunteers go back into the outside world and practice the new skills they learn, while living with us and working on their recovery.
We're not really unique in the way we operate because many programs like the Salvation Army, Delancy Street, Goodwill, and Teen Challenge operate as we do - with the help of volunteers. Those programs provide housing and other services to their volunteers while providing them with all of their needs and giving them a small stipend so they have a few dollars in their pocket.
While those programs have a slightly different focus than our program does, we all are helping people improve their lives and operate pretty much the same way - working to help people re-join the human race.
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