A home for the holidays A home for the holidays

ANCHOR: FOR MANY, CHRISTMAS SEASON IS A TIME FOR GIFT GIVING. ALEXANDRA JENNERJAHN SHARES HOW ONE PROGRAM IS GIVING IT’S RESIDENT SOMETHING MORE THAN A GIFT… A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE.

WISNIEWSKI: “SIX MONTHS WITHOUT A DRINK. I HAVE A TOTAL OF 6 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS WITHOUT A DRINK.”

JENNERJAHN: JUST FIVE MONTHS AGO, STEVEN WISNIEWSKI (WIS-NES-KEY) BECAME A RESIDENT OF THE SALVATION ARMY’S ADULT REHABILITATION CENTER WITH THE INTENT TO CHANGE HIS LIFE AND END HIS ALCOHOL ADDICTION.

WISNIEWSKI: “AND I WAS PRETTY DEPRESSED, AND ALL THAT IS GONE NOW.”

JENNERJAHN: WISNIEWSKI SAYS HE WASN’T SURE THE CHANGE WAS POSSIBLE, BUT THANKS TO THE CENTER’S STAFF AND THE COUNSELING HE’S RECEIVING, HE NOW HAS HOPE.

WISNIEWSKI: “WHEN I WALKED IN HERE, THE FIRST SIGN I SEEN WAS JEREMIAH 29:11 –JESUS HAS PLAN FOR YOU. HE KNOWS THE PLANS AND HE HOLDS THE FUTURE TOO. I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT AT FIRST BUT I NOW DO HAVE A FUTURE.”

JENNERJAHN: PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR MAJOR GAYLE MIGA SAYS THE HOUSING AND SELF HELP PROGRAMS PROVIDED AT THE CENTER ARE FUNDED BY DONATIONS THAT THE SALVATION ARMY RECEIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY. RESIDENTS LIVE IN DORMS AND ATTEND ANGER MANAGEMENT AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE CLASSES, BIBLE STUDIES, WORK THERAPY PROGRAMS AND CAN EVEN EARN THEIR G-E-D.

MIGA: “WE TRY TO HELP THE PERSON CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIORS SO THAT THEY CAN GET BACK TO SOCIETY AND BE A MEMBER AND GET BACK TO WORK.”

JENNERJAHN: THE REHABILITATION CENTER’S MAIN GOAL IS TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE BATTLING ADDICTIONS, BUT THEY ALSO PLACE A LARGE EMPHASIS ON COMMUNTY. A LOT OF THAT COMMUNITY FEEL HAPPENS RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM. WHETHER IT BE HAVING A HOLIDAY MEAL TOGETHER, PLAYING A SIMPLE GAME OF POOL OR TAKING RESIDENTS OFF SITE TO ENJOY SYRACUSE ACTIVITIES.

MIGA: “WE KEEP THEM BUSY ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM FEEL SAD BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT AROUND THEIR FAMILY.”

JENNERJAHN: AND WHILE THE HOPE IS THAT EVERYONE WHO COMES TO THE CENTER BECOMES WELL ENOUGH TO LEAVE, MIGA SAYS THE CENTER’S STAFF AND RESIDENTS CONSIDER THEMSELVES A FAMILY.

MIGA: “WE REFER TO OUR PLACE HERE AS A HOME. HERE WE’RE FAMILY, AND THAT’S WHAT WE REFER TO EVERYBODY AS.”

JENNERJAHN: AND WITH CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR ON THE WAY, RESIDENTS WILL HAVE A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

ALEXANDRA JENNERJAHN, N-C-C NEWS.

By Alexandra Jennerjahn SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Many people view Christmas as a time for gift giving and relaxation, but to the residents of the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center, this holiday season is focused on bettering themselves and creating a future.

“Six months without a drink. I have gone a total of six months and two weeks without a drink,” Steven Wisniewski, a resident of the center said. “I was pretty depressed and all of that is gone now.”

Wisniewski joined the rehabilitation center five months ago when his addiction to alcohol became too much to bear. Now, thanks to counseling, self help programs and bible studies provided through the center, Wisniewski feels that there’s hope for him.

“The first sign I saw [when I walked into the center] was Jeremiah 29:11. ‘Jesus has  a plan for you. He knows the plans and he holds the future too.’ I didn’t believe it at first, but now I do have a future and I also have hope,” Wisniewski said.

The rehabilitation is a 100 bed facility with 70 beds reserved for men and 30 reserved for women. It’s a faith-based program funded by donations given to the Salvation Army from community members.

Major Gayle Miga helps run the program alongside her husband and works hard to give the residents opportunities to help them better face their battles with addictions.

“We try to help the person change their behaviors so that they can get back to society and be a member and get back to work,” Miga said.

Residents attend anger management and substance abuse classes, bible studies, Alcoholic Anonymous Meetings and can even earn their GED.

While the center’s main goal is to help those who are struggling, the staff also tried to place a large emphasis on community. They have holiday dinners and make sure to take residents off site now and again to things like hockey games and theatre shows, so they can enjoy the Syracuse community as well.

“We keep them busy especially at this time of the year because a lot of them feel sad because they’re not around their family,” Miga said.

Miga’s hope is that the residents who come to her center seeking help, become well enough to leave. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t always have a home for the holidays at the rehabilitation center.

“Here we’re family. And that’s what we refer to everybody as,” Miga said. “Our center is a home.”

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