Mel Wells, President of One Day At A Time (ODAAT) (center), surrounded by staff, political leaders and community members at the grand opening of the ODAAT new recovery center. (Photo: Rejean Wilson)
ODAAT and Yesha Ministries hosted a grand opening of RecoverED Dormitories on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 1712 Point Breeze Avenue in South Philadelphia, home of Yesha Ministries.
“Thanks to this new partnership with Bishop James Darrell Robinson, pastor and founder of Yesha Ministries, we’ll be able to house more individuals in need at our newly renovated RecoverED Dormitories,” said Mel Wells, president of One Day At A Time. “Special thanks to the city of Philadelphia and Mayor James F. Kenney, State Senators Sharif Street and Anthony H. Williams, Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, State Representative Jordan Harris and other ODAAT partners, including the Urban Affairs Coalition, we are at the point where we are today, ready to officially open this new facility.”
In addition to providing housing for those in recovery, clients will have access to group recovery sessions, one-on-one recovery counseling, basic computer training and will have easy access to GED classes sponsored in partnership with Community College of Philadelphia. As clients successfully make it through the thirty day “black-out period” and prove they’re ready to be committed to continuing their education or finding employment, One Day At A Time and Yesha counselors will provide support to ensure that those opportunities are successful.
“Wonderful things can happen, awesome things can happen when two organizations that care for the community, and love people, come together and help save lives,” Bishop James Darrell Robinson, Yesha’s founder and senior pastor said,. “Mel Wells and I have joined forces because the synergy between us has created a platform for us to help more people together than we can help apart.”
Yesha Ministries already operates a 63-bed recovery house for drug addicts and connects the patients to the church. This new facility will be a coed Recovered Dormitory and will have capacity to offer up to 50 beds for those in drugs or alcohol recovery.
This project is funded by the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disability Services, (DBHIDS) with the support of Roland Lamb and Dr. Jones and by Philadelphia City Council, Urban Affairs Coalition, Independence Blue Cross, and State Sen. Sharif Street.
About One Day At A Time and Yesha Ministries
One Day At A Time is largely known for the work they accomplish in the world of drug and alcohol recovery and for their HIV/AIDS services. However, ODAAT is also committed to working with community leaders and influencers to bring peace on our streets and an end to violence of all kinds. ODAAT managers and staff work with families and youth to heal our community. Founded by Reverend Henry T. Wells in 1983, ODAAT currently has over 200 men and women in recovery living in ODAAT’s shelter network across North and South Philadelphia. Annually, ODAAT has contact with the more than 52,000 residents of Philadelphia in parks, the SEPTA Subway system, at community events and festivals. The ODAAT team distributes HIV/AIDS information, offers free HIV/AIDS testing, distributes free food to, and offer other services, including drug and alcohol recovery services.
Yesha Ministries started in 1998 as a small group of worshippers who gathered and held service in a school, then a hotel, until they purchased their current garage-turned-church. One of their specialties is helping drug and alcohol addicts to get clean, using Jesus, as their guide. Once the addicts they work with do get clean, counselors from the church train those converts to reach out and save someone else so that the circle of salvation continues.
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