When Sarah and Justin came to Solid Ground with their children in 2021, they were ready for a new beginning. Their family had experienced significant challenges, including addiction and the loss of both of their parents to addiction.
“Before Solid Ground, life was really tough,” Sarah shares. “Solid Ground definitely made our recovery more possible with the stability, the resources, and the tools.”
That stability gave Sarah and Justin’s family a foundation before needing to determine what would come next.
What came next was rediscovering what was possible for themselves and their family. With stable housing and the support of their Solid Ground team, they returned to school with dreams of becoming addiction counselors and eventually opening a treatment center where they can use their own experiences to help others. “They motivated us in the right direction to be able to believe in ourselves again,” Sarah says. “It gave us the stability with our kids so that they could see us flourish and thrive.”
Their experience reflects Solid Ground’s participant-led approach. Families determine their own goals, while staff walk alongside them, offering connections, resources, and encouragement as they work toward greater stability. Last year alone, Solid Ground served more than 1,400 people across 441 families, including 849 children. “These families are really strong,” explains Kate Tobin, Solid Ground’s Director of Programs. “When you have the infrastructure in place for them to succeed, they will.”
For Sarah and Justin, their next step was a big one. After building a strong foundation, they transitioned out of Solid Ground housing and moved into a home of their own. The Solid Ground team supported their family throughout the process, helping make the transition into their new home as smooth as possible. “They were so helpful in every way,” Sarah beams. “They were our family.”
Today, 97% of families in Solid Ground housing achieve housing stability. For Sarah and Justin, that stability opened the door to recovery, education, new dreams, and a home of their own. Justin reflects on their journey so far. “Solid Ground was able to give us the foundation that we needed to be able to grow,” he states with pride for what they’ve been able to accomplish.
Sarah and Justin’s journey is uniquely theirs, but it reflects what is possible when families have a stable foundation and a community that believes in their future. Every road may look different, but at Solid Ground, all roads can lead to home.