Episode 65 | The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd & Guest David Carson | "Elevating Recovery Housing" |Episode 65 | The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd & Guest David Carson | "Elevating Recovery Housing" |
The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast by Freedom Recovery Services of Greenville
Host Mike Todd speaks with David Carson about Sammy’s Mission, a faith-based recovery housing project inspired by a friend lost to addiction. They talk through the practical challenges of providing safe housing, work, transport and medical support like naloxone and Hep C treatment for men rebuilding their lives.
50:00•11 Feb 2022
Faith, Grit and Four Houses: David Carson on Elevating Recovery Housing
Episode Overview
- Transitional housing after treatment is vital; sending someone back to a "toxic lifestyle" can destroy their chances of staying sober.
- Many residents arrive with nothing, so providing basics like clothing, toiletries, transport and safe work is part of effective recovery support.
- Strong links with faith-based programmes, AA, Celebrate Recovery and mentors help create a structured recovery pathway.
- Untreated Hep C among residents is a major concern, highlighting the need for accessible testing and affordable treatment within recovery housing.
- Sustainable recovery housing benefits from community backing, church partnerships, private donors and involving residents in public events and testimonies.
“You can't put recovery in no box.”
Curious about how others handle the gritty, day-to-day work of keeping people safe and sober? This conversation between host Mike Todd and guest David Carson shines a light on exactly that, with a strong focus on recovery housing and the gaps that still need filling. David shares how his journey from "pain pills" to "meth, heroin" and a "road of darkness" eventually led him to the Miracle Hill Overcomers programme, where his faith and recovery began.
His friend Sammy, who died from addiction, became the inspiration for Sammy’s Mission, a faith-based recovery housing initiative now running four homes for men who often arrive with nothing more than "a trash bag" of belongings. The chat is relaxed but very direct. You’ll hear about the practical realities of running recovery houses on a shoestring: buying used vans, relying on private donors and churches, and providing basics like "toothbrushes, soap, socks, underwear" out of their own pockets at first.
Mike and David also talk about work opportunities for men with criminal records, the importance of safe employment, and the value of relationships with employers who "believe in what we're doing". One of the biggest concerns David raises is untreated Hep C among residents, especially for men earning modest wages who "can't afford the Hep C treatment".
That single issue sparks a wider discussion on what funding should really support: naloxone in every house, Hep C and HIV testing, peer support workers, and proper transport. Underpinning all of this is David’s faith and his partnership with his wife Mandy, whom he calls "the backbone of Sammy’s Mission". Their story shows how recovery housing can be both fragile and powerful at the same time – built on prayer, grit and a lot of unpaid hours.
If you care about recovery housing, does this make you wonder what support your own community is (or isn’t) offering?
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