Recovery Support Services: I Have a Purpose!

What finally led her to the path of recovery was walking into one of NH’s Community Recovery Center and feeling welcome.

She felt fully embraced and was able to see the good in herself again. Yolanda joined the Parenting Journey in Recovery class, which further sparked her commitment to getting sober.

Yolanda DaRocha was a low point in her life. She no longer had custody of her children. She had bounced in and out of recovery programs, including a methadone recovery program she was in for years.

Then fate stepped in. When Yolanda needed gas for her car to get to an appointment, she walked into the nearby Greater Tilton Area Family Resource Center (GTA-FRC) asking for help. They gave her a gas card to fill her tank, but also told her about the programs they offer, and invited her to a local church service. The GTA-FRC, a Recovery Community Organization initiative of Harbor Care, is flexible and accommodating in meeting people’s needs.

“When I was feeling helpless and didn’t have anyone to turn to, I reached out to Michelle and Daryl,” said Yolanda, referring to GTA-FRC Executive Director Michelle Lennon and Daryl Lennon, the telephone recovery support manager. Yolanda continued to visit the Center from time to time, getting calls from the staff every so often to check in.

On one visit, Yolanda asked why she hadn’t received a call in a while. Michelle told her, “You get out what you put into it.” 

She was trying hard, but wasn’t able to make sobriety stick. “I kept slipping up. I just couldn’t get clean.” With the help of her sponsor, Yolanda had managed to get off methadone, but continued drinking.

She was sleeping in cars, could not work, and was in a relationship with someone who was also using substances. “I lost my kids. My life was a mess.” 

Yolanda hated where she was. Her life kept going from bad to worse. 

“It was at the point where my partner was asking people for money in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I thought, this is not how I want to live my life,” she said. “It was years of use and my daughter was getting older. I was not around and she was worried about me. All that stuff made me realize it was not the lifestyle I wanted to live.” 

Then suddenly, something stuck. Yolanda walking into the GTA-FRC, and felt a welcome and embrace that she’d never experienced before. She knew was supposed to be there, to make her recovery. She started attending programs on a regular basis. Talking to staff and other clients, she gradually began to see the good in herself again. She joined the Parenting Journey in Recovery class, which further sparked her commitment to getting sober. 

“I wanted more, so the GTA-FRC staff allowed me to come in as a volunteer,” said Yolanda. Finally, she was able to take the advice staff person Michelle had given her so long ago: “You get out of it what you put in it.” She was committed to sobriety. She was putting in.

Having found something she was passionate about, Yolanda decided that working in peer recovery services was something she wanted to do for a career.  She got a position at the GTA-FRC through the AmeriCorps program, continued attending trainings, and became the leader of the Parenting Journey in Recovery Class. Recently, Yolanda passed her Certified Recovery Support Worker exam and hopes to soon get her certification.  

The GTA-FRC is a resource center founded to address the most pressing needs of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. It began as a conversation between pastors at Tilton area churches, and through their work, the work other community leaders, and support from organizations like Harbor Care, the GTA-FRC became an important piece of the Lakes Region’s recovery network. Harbor Care is contracted with the organization to provide and grow the peer recovery support program that helped Yolanda. It’s the same program she works for today. In addition, the GTA-FRC provides support for parents and families within its 3,500-square foot facility on Prospect Street. 

Yolanda recently marked three years sober. She has reconnected with her children, gaining custody of her daughter and part custody of two sons. She is also a member of a twelve step fellowship, running a meeting at the GTA-FRC. She said her work there helping people in recovery has been instrumental in her own recovery. 

“It’s a fulfillment I’ve never had before. Giving back was all I’ve ever wanted to do,” said Yolanda. “It makes me feel like I have a purpose.” 

For more information on Harbor Care’s substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services, visit our Substance Use Services page.