Image: Supplied by Richard Korkowski / Men from Joshua House, a residential recovery program in Chilliwack and Abbotsford.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Joshua House

Men find hope, healing at Joshua House residential recovery house east of Chilliwack

Jul 19, 2022 | 11:01 AM

CHILLIWACK — It’s not uncommon for men to show up at Richard Korkowski’s substance abuse rehabilitation facility on Chilliwack Lake Road with little more than the shirt on their back.

At Joshua House Ministries, which launched in 2004, despair doesn’t begin to adequately describe the sense of hopelessness he sees on the faces of men who are down and out. Korkowski, who admits to being an addict himself, speaks of the physical and emotional trauma he sees first-hand.

“It’s devastating to see these guys,” said Korkowski. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I know a lot of the addicted community. You can barely have a conversation with some of them. These guys haven’t been able to cope with their loss, be it mental or sexual abuse or physical loss. They’re just devastated. A lot of these guys have no hope. It breaks my heart to see them go through this.”

From the time clients make the call to Joshua House, there’s a 24-hour turnaround from first contact to getting a bed up at the secluded facility at 60550 Chilliwack Lake Road. Under the program, men gradually reduce their dependence on methadone and Suboxone little by little.

“We want to make an intervention on this overdose crisis,” Korkowski said. “We’re all about transforming lives and making people productive in society. We taper them down slowly off methadone and Suboxone. Some guys go slower. They’re up there for 30-45 days on Chilliwack Lake Road away from the sirens and the temptations. A lot of guys choose to stay up there.”

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To help fulfill their mission of transforming men one life at a time, Joshua House Ministries will hold its second annual “Restoring Hope Recovery Ride” fundraiser this Saturday, July 23 at 9 a.m. at Sevenoaks Alliance Church in Abbotsford. The event features a motorcycle ride, BBQ lunch, 50-50 raffle, and door prizes.

It’s an opportunity for the self-funded, non-profit organization to raise awareness and rally the troops for a good cause. Joshua House has three licensed homes in Abbotsford under an assisted living register, as well as three out of care Abbotsford homes where 12 men can live indefinitely after graduating from its program, and the Chilliwack Lake facility. Altogether, the charity helps 95 men per month who want to break free from the chains of their substance use.

As men journey through the recovery continuum, they acquire life skills by volunteering with organizations like Mennonite Central Committee and Salvation Army, and work towards financial sustenance. Korkowski emphasizes that community and accountability are keys to their recovery.

Image: Supplied by Richard Korkowski / Men from Joshua House volunteer in the community.

“We’re all one decision from a bad outcome,” Korkowski said. “It’s not about giving these guys free drugs. It’s encouraging and strengthening guys. We try to connect with people in the Christian community to rent basement suites so they have some place that is safe and accountable. Something has become fractured. That fracture is real to them. If you can heal that fracture, you can give them hope.”

The best part of his job is seeing men transition away from a life of substance use and one of giving back to their communities.

“We get them cleaned up, off drugs, and stable,” Korkowski said. “When I see guys go on with their lives, they get their friends and families back. They become servants of many and give back to their communities. I’ve seen them when they’re broken, destitute and they feel like trash. When you see that life restored, it’s beautiful to watch, to see them have hope again.”

Visit www.yahwehsavesrecovery.ca for more information, or find Joshua House on Facebook.