I wanted to commend you, as Director, for the wonderful job the Recovery Center does for the addict and for the addict’s family.

My son was in-patient there and received caring, professional care.  Dr. Newton restored his (and our) faith in psychiatry, and his counselor made a real connection with him.  My son is now living at a halfway house in Lititz where he seems to be getting continued help in his recovery and we are cautiously hopeful.

The Family Education Program is outstanding and specifically has helped my husband and I through a very traumatic time for our family.  To know we were not alone any longer in working through this despair was overwhelming. We have never met more compassionate, committed people to help us through this ordeal.

Thank you again for the wonderful job you do!!

I have been in-patient at Penn Foundation Recovery Center 2 times.  The first time was about 3 years ago, the second was about 6 months ago.

The first time I was here I paid no attention to anything anyone told me, because I knew it all.  They told me that addiction was a “disease”.  I thought that was a load of crap.  I could quit when I wanted to, I just never really wanted to.  I didn’t even want to quit while I was in rehab, I just went in that first time to get out of some trouble.

So then 3 years later I found myself living on people’s couches (if they would let me).  I even had to sleep in my car a few nights, but I was lucky I still had my car - I had lost everything else.

I was lucky enough to get back in to Penn Foundation Recovery Center.  It was interesting that a lot of the same staff people were there, they remembered me and welcomed me.  They asked me while I was going through the admission process “what is going to be different this time?” The biggest difference was me.  This time I knew that I didn’t know anything!

I felt like a new baby learning how to walk.  I listened to everything the staff had to say, and even looked to the “techs” for advice.  The Penn Foundation has a great program.  They even helped me find a place to live that was a clean and sober environment.  I couldn’t go back to my friends couches (not that I wanted to) but didn’t think there were other options.  I am currently living in a “Recovery House” that Penn Foundation helped me get in to.

The most important thing I could tell someone thinking about going into treatment is to please listen.  The staff only want to help.  Its like going to the doctor…  you don’t go to the doctor and tell him he’s full of crap for telling you that you are sick.  The staff are the same.  They are telling you how to get better, if you listen.

I have been through inpatient and outpatient programs at Penn Foundation Recovery Center.

I am very impressed with the seamless connection with these 2 programs!  While I was in the Inpatient program, the Aftercare Coordinater set me up with Outpatient for the day after I graduated.  I didn’t have to wait, I just came right in the next day and continued my treatment.

I felt like if I didn’t have this support, it would have been like jumping off a cliff and hoping for the best.  With the help of the Outpatient Department, I had a “step down” rather than a bug jump.

I have nothing but good things to say about the staff, both Inpatient and Outpatient.  They really know what they are doing and have a lot of knowledge that they are happy to share, if you are willing to listen.

My best advice to someone coming into treatment here, inpatient or outpatient, is to listen!  We like to think we have all the answers already, but if we did, we wouldn’t need treatment, now would we?

I graduated from PFRC a little over 2 1/2 years ago. My fiancee graduated a little over 1 1/2 years ago. We are BOTH still clean, and on 9/9/09 our son was born perfect, healthy, and having NEVER had a drug introduced into his system. (Okay, except caffeine.)

As a multiple-time visitor to the PFRC, any of the staff that’s still there who knew me, also know my daughter - soon to be 7 - who didn’t get to be born in such an awesome way. I NEVER could have done it this time without everything I learned there over the years.

2 1/2 years later (6 years if you go back to the beginning), I STILL remember every group with Kelly, every story Ted told, and every interesting hair color Ryan went through, or every time my counselor told me I’d just have to wait until later to talk to her (long story, but I needed it). I could keep naming people, but my fingers would get tired before I finished.

I owe my son, in a great part, to PFRC, and I just really wanted to say thank you.

- Angela

We usually hear our 2 year olds strongly exerting their independence by loudly declaring “I can do it myself!!”.  We watch them try and fail, then cry with determination the second, third and fourth time “I can do it myself!!”.

I am the proud mother of an alcoholic/addict who has just realized, with your help, that he can not overcome his addiction alone.  The most difficult time I have ever faced, with any of my 3 children, has been watching my son declare “I can do it myself” while trying to overcome his addiction.  It is painful to see your child, grown or young, learn by paying the penalty for his/her choices in life.   This experience becomes “extremely” painful when they repeat this “lie” over and over again, leaving more and more wounds.  These wounds are physical and psychological. Guilt, guilt, guilt is the biggest, badest and most unforgiving of these.  But, we must stay strong, resilient and wise for the sake of our childrens’ lives.  I must say, I have never prayed so hard and so long than for this child of mine.

I was very blessed to have wise counsel from Addiction Counselors and a very special Psychiatrist at Penn Foundation Recovery Center.  The most comforting, supportive and wise counselor was our God.  God’s comfort, and the supports He gave us, allowed my husband and I to stay on the course for our son’s long, long journey home.

They helped me to understand that there is something you can do. There are ways to make treatment the only option.  Do not support any of their actions that will enable them to continue in their addiction!!  Do not offer financial help, it will only go to their addiction!!  Do not offer a place to live if they have lost housing due to their addiction!!

My precious son has just completed his inpatient program at Penn Foundation and is now participating in outpatient treatment.  He is attending an AA meeting every day.  He has learned to identify his “triggers”, accepts this is a life long endeavor and works on his recovery “one day at a time”.

We all need to remember and work at practicing that little piece of wisdom with great reward - “One day at a time”.

Hello.  I just wanted to thank you for having your place there.  My sister has been there for the last 28 days, now she is getting ready to go to a halfway house in Lancaster.  It has been a interesting experience visiting every sunday and attending Family Education Class.  The counselors, addictions technicians and all staff have been so supportive.  Being a family member, I have just found your program amazing - so I just wanted to thank you.

I wanted to let you know that I would be willing to speak at your Autumn Event to strees how important it is to support Penn Foundation.  I would be willing to do this especially since I’ve had a sister there.

I’m praying that she is going to make it, the counselors tell me that she is doing really great.  She really wants this change.

It has been a hard thing to take - the alcohol and drugs.  My sister has 2 kids aged 15 and 16 and it has been very hard on them.  They are happy that she is doing so well now.

It has been an awesome experience to be a part of her treatment.  What Penn Foundation does to help everyone and the support you offer is amazing.

My name is Lorianne and thanks to Penn Foundation, I have two years clean today, August 21, 2009.

Before I came to Penn Foundation, I had been to numerous rehabs, but nothing worked.  I was court mandated to enter a treatment facility, and I really didn’t want to be here.  An Addictions Technician picked me up from jail, and I had no intentions of staying clean.  I was a hellish patient!  When I first got here, I didn’t do any work on myself - I took it as a joke.  I was put on a bahavioral contract, but I still didn’t care.

But something changed when I was in group one day.  I realized that if I didn’t change my ways, I would die.  So I started listening in groups and talking to the Addictions Technicians any chance I got.  The staff here is amazing!  They did not “sugar coat” anything.  They told me about myself (even when I didn’t want to hear it).  There were plenty of times I cried and hated hearing what they were saying, but I needed to hear it.

Penn Foundation Recovery Center changed my life.  As I said, I have two years clean and I am alive.  I owe my life to the staff here and I am forever grateful for them.  Penn Foundation is not like any other rehab I was in.  The staff aren’t working here just for the paycheck, they work here to make a difference.  I believe they actually do care about everyone that walks through the door for help.  If it wasn’t for Penn Foundation, I would be dead - and I’m not!

I gave this place a chance and got a second chance at life.

I am new at Penn Foundation Recovery Center.  I came here a few days ago and I didn’t really want to.  My family said it was rehab or the streets, so I made the only logical choice.

When I first got here, there was a lot of waiting around followed by a lot of paperwork followed by a lot of talking to different staff.  I spent time with Ted, the techs, the nurses, it felt like I was never going to be settled in.  But finally I got to my room and had a chance to unpack.  My roommates came in and introduced themselves, and they seemed to be pretty nice.

My first night wasn’t too bad, the food for dinner was good (I was worried about that).  We had an AA meeting where people came in from “the outside world”.  I really liked it and I met some cool people.  They let us watch tv for a little while at night, that was nice, I felt more at home.

The next day they work me up really early (I’m not a morning person), but once I got going, it was ok.  The groups I have been to have been interesting, and I haven’t been bored yet.  We get a few hours of free time in the afternoon which I appreciate (so I can take a nap!).

I’m not sure about anything yet.  I honestly don’t know if I am really ready to be clean and sober for the rest of my life.  They keep telling me to take it “one day at a time”, and I can do that.  Yes, I would rather be home with my friends, but this isn’t too bad.  I am willing to listen to what everyone has to say and I am willing to give recovery a try.  Thats more than I would have said last week - I guess that’s a start.

As parents of a young adult with addiction issues, we were delighted when our son completed his first full year as a sober person.  Our joy was nothing compared to the joy he experienced.   He walked the walk and followed the 12 step program and while we were supportive of him during that time, we recognized that during those days, weeks, months and then years of early recovery, just about anything can happen that can derail the progress the addicted has made during his walk along the “Long and Winding Road.”

Addiction issues hit your family like a violent storm.   You may not get advanced warning, but you seek shelter and advice on how to weather the many issues that your family will face.   Penn Foundation Recovery Center provided an excellent shelter with resources and programs that helped us work through the problem.   Our son found help and began the basic steps he needed to begin his recovery.   Was the process perfect? Sadly, no, because humans will sometimes fail to follow and hold to the things that will keep them sober, but the good news is that resources are there to help the addicted find there way along the path to sobriety.

Our journey continues and as parents we want others to know that you must support those you love and care about and help them see they have a purpose in life.   Our son has told us several times that if we did not take the firm stands against his drug and alcohol life style he may have decided to end his life.   We were not going to let that happen.