NPORTC Magazine

T uerk House has been around for 53 years, serving the community with urgent care and a mental health center for those struggling with addiction. Tuerk House is co-ed, with 40 females on one floor, 40 males on another, and 30 people in the crisis center. Vincent Timmons found himself in trouble and went to Tuerk House for help. “I was in crime until I found my way. They never closed the door; they let me in.” He was so impressed that he began spreading the word, telling the underprivileged, “‘We have a crisis unit that takes people in 24/7— even with no insurance or ID; we don't turn anyone away.’ I volunteered, went out, got people in, and talked about our wonderful program at Tuerk house. I made flyers, tee shirts, everything.” Nineteen months ago, Vincent became an official staff member. But he doesn’t call it work. “You’re helping people. You're getting people in programs; you’re getting them clean; you're getting them their ID; you're getting them physicals. Tuerk House can provide everything from counseling to DUI classes—anything a person needs.” Working in crisis and outreach, Vincent is out in the community with his team. “Late at night in the cold rain, you'll find Mr. Vincent out there. Me, Tony, and Yaw, we go out and find people and talk to people.” He adds, “When they first come in, we offer showers and wash their clothes—some people haven’t had their clothes washed in years. And we feed them—we’ve got the best cooks. “We have inpatient beds for 28 days to six months, depending on your case. We don't turn no one down.” After detox, if a client needs transitional housing, Tuerk House provides that and communicates with other treatment centers in the area, such as New Place of Recovery Treatment Center. If Tuerk House is full, they contact New Place, and vice-versa. And he sees the change. “When they come in, it’s like planting a seed, and then they grow into a rose. People are so beautiful once they get themselves together after thirty days to sixmonths. It’s like a new person. An addict’s got two lives: one, where they're going to run in the streets and don't know themselves because of the disease— the other, when they wake up, there's a brand-new life. A recovering addict can go anywhere. If you put

them in a job, the only place to go is to the top because they’ve already been to the bottom. “I love Tuerk House; they treat me like family. Mr. Bernard and Ms. Diaz treat you like family. They’re the ones who gave me this opportunity. You can go to HR, Ms. Wright, and go to Yaw, you can go to anybody on that team, and they would bend over backward to help you. “Chris and Yaw, and Tony, we brainstorm to come up with different ideas. And every November, we do a coat drive. One time we gave a lady a brand-new coat, and she started crying; nobody had given her anything for a long time. Mr. Edwards, the counselor, told me one of the clients needed a pair of tennis shoes. I bought him a pair out of my own pocket.” Vincent also feeds the community on Saturdays. He adds, “We treat everyone like family. As soon as you come in the door, you see a nurse practitioner, a counselor, and a peer. We’ve got the best staff in the world.”

Vincent Timmons: Outreach Specialist

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