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HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The establishment of a second men's Oxford House for recovering drug and alcohol addicts has allowed Chuck Stucky to move from sleeping on a couch to having his own room - which has dramatically improved his ability to get a full night's sleep before getting up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready for his job.
Stucky said the plentiful sleep isn't his only reason for waking up feeling good these days, though.
"I wake up in a good mood because I wake up in a safe environment," Stucky told The Hutchinson News (http://bit.ly/1PKyGlQ ).
Stucky was released from prison for the second time April 24. After his first prison stint, he didn't have anything like Oxford House to turn to, so he ended up back in the same environment where he got in trouble before.
This time, though, he's around people who have sobriety in mind, just like him, and who know what it's like trying to recover from addiction. And even when he has a rough day at work, when he gets home, there's always someone who is smiling.
"I have yet to experience a bad day," Stucky said.
And because of the support of his housemates at Oxford House, he feels better about being in recovery and more willing to talk with others about it.
Like Stucky, Jason Hoffman has found the support of his housemates makes it easier to stay on track. Now sober for eight months, Hoffman has even received a promotion to crew leader at his job, and he has been able to start repairing his relationship with his parents. It all adds up to an optimistic and excited outlook for his future.
"Don't ever give up for the miracle happening," Hoffman said.
Oxford House Niam recently opened in Hutchinson. It's the second men's Oxford House and third overall in Hutchinson.
The house, nearly 4,000 square feet of it, and its location has been a big boon for the residents, Matthew Griffin said. It is easy for the residents to catch a bus to work or walk to a nearby store to get groceries.
Griffin said the new neighbors have been relatively accepting of Oxford House, and for their part, the Oxford House residents are trying to be good neighbors. They've already done some work on the historical 106-year-old house, with more repairs planned.
"We want to be the best looking house on the block," Griffin said. "We've got a lot to prove."
Oxford House Niam has a capacity of 14 residents, including space for two people fresh out of incarceration to stay while trying to get on their feet and find gainful employment. That brings the total capacity for Oxford Houses in Hutchinson to 33 men and women.
Oxford House is a residential program for recovering drug and alcohol addicts, run by the residents.
The houses are managed democratically by the residents, who have regular meetings to discuss finances and any other issues. The self-supporting houses handle their own finances, including paying all bills with rent from residents. And the houses have a zero- tolerance policy for drug and alcohol use; if a resident is found to be drinking or using drugs, they get an hour to pack and move out.
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Information from: The Hutchinson (Kan.) News, http://www.hutchnews.com
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